Ghost Story
by Jyuoa
Summary: What happens when Anna is already a ghost when she arrives in present-day Mystic Falls? For some reason, Jeremy is the only human who can see her at first anyway . Dealing with her former partners and possible murderers, she has to work with the group in order to help bring peace to her hometown. Begins during season one. Rated T for possible language. I Do Not Own TVD.
1. Chapter 1

Jeremy was in the library. He was looking for research on the myths of Mystic Falls. Somewhere on the other end of the library, a girl was sitting by herself. She remembered how she had seen her own body a few weeks ago, greyed and shriveled. Now things were out of control and she had no way to do anything as a spirit. No one she knew of could even see her right now.

She decided to walk through the familiar halls of the library. Just then, Jeremy came down the same isle. "Sorry, I didn't see you there." Jeremy said. The girl looked at him in surprise. The girl looked behind her. There was no one there but her.

"You can see me." It wasn't a question.

"Of course I can. Not like your invisible." Jeremy said. The girl thought of how ironic that statement was.

"Sorry if I come across as weird, but I'm usually a loner." The girl told him. "I spend most of my time reading here. My name's Anna."

"I'm Jeremy. So, do you hang out here often?"

"Kinda." Anna said.

"Do you know anything about history?"

"A lot, actually. You doing research or something?"

"I've got this report I have to do for class. I figured maybe you knew this place well enough to…"

"Of course I'll be happy to help." Anna said. Jeremy followed the somewhat strange girl through the aisles of books. "This aisle is local and state history. And civil war is one over. What do you need?" She turned around and asked him

"Local. 1860s." Jeremy told her.

"You want reference, then." Anna said. "It's this way. I was homeschooled, but I do most of my studying here, it feels a lot friendlier than sitting around the house." She stopped by the reference aisle. "Ah, here we go. Original settlers, town archives, founders stuff. It's all here. So, what's your topic?"

"The town's fear and hysteria surrounding the war and how it influenced certain writers of the time." Jeremy told her.

"You might want to focus that." Anna said. It sounded familiar to her. A little too familiar.

"The origin of local folklore and myths." Jeremy said. Then she knew what he meant.

"You mean the vampires?" Anna asked him.

"What?" Jeremy said, confused. "You're kidding me, right? There's no such thing as vampires."

"Well, there's not a lot of documentation but the stories have been told since the civil war." Anna explained. "My granddad used to tell me all these creepy stories when I was little. And he said that his granddad told them to him"

"Yeah. That would be folklore. Vampires are a metaphor for the demons of the day." Jeremy said.

"Really? Which are what, exactly?"

"The union soldiers. I've read the stories myself." Jeremy told her. "They talk about the enemy, the demons that attack night."

"That sounds like vampires to me." Anna said. She decided to leave out that she used to be one.

"They probably made it up." Jeremy said. "Think about it. A country at war doesn't want realism. They want fantasy. Thus, vampire fiction." Anna smiled.

"Man, you're smart. I gotta give it to you. When I first saw you, I missed it."

"Yeah. I've had a rough go of it lately." Jeremy told her. "But I'm just now getting back to my old self."

"Well, good luck on the paper." Anna said. "Maybe I can help with some stuff. My great grandfather actually showed me a journal once of an ancestor and he had written all of this creepy stuff about vampires. It was actually really believable."

"A journal?"

"Yeah."

"You want to go somewhere with me?" Jeremy asked.

"Okay." Anna said. She was nervous. She hadn't really left the library for the past few days.

They ended up at the Grill. "So, you have no idea where the journal is?" Jeremy asked.

"Nope. Gramps died. And all the kids split his stuff. Not like I can ask him or anything." Anna told him. She hoped that the two of them were alone so it wouldn't look like Jeremy was talking to himself.

"I just find it weird that our ancestors kept the same kind of journal. It's crazy." Jeremy said.

"Maybe it's based in some partial reality." Anna told him.

"No. It's gotta be a metaphorical. My ancestor wrote short stories."

"Really? That explains why you're hung up on it being just fiction."

"No, it's cause I've seen those movies like fifty times." Jeremy said.

"Even Twilight?" Jeremy looked at her. "Sorry, I just thought…never mind."

"Please, that's like a total chick flick." He pointed out. "You're not into that are you?"

"No. I don't really get time to see the movies, anyway. Besides, nothing beats the classic novels." Anna told him.

"So, can we meet again tomorrow? For the project, I mean." Jeremy asked.

"Of course." Anna said. "I'm always hanging out there. I'll see you around. It's been nice meeting you." She left the Grill. Not that anyone else would notice. She wondered why Jeremy was able to see her.

The next day, Jeremy was back at the library again. Anna came over to him, with the research she had looked up last night. She knew why he could see her now and hoped he wouldn't figure out her secret. "Hey."

"You made it." Jeremy said.

"Look, I did a little research last night to find some proof." She handed him the papers she'd been carrying. She had no idea how she was able to do that, but it helped when the time was necessary.

"What does it mean?"

"I only went as far as the early nineteen hundreds." Anna told him. "Turns out there've been a string of attacks in and around this town for the past seventy-five years." She started going through the research with him. "It's really consistant. Four people killed in 1953. In 62, there were five bodies found near the town. 74, three people dead. And there's been five attacks this year. All of them suffered major blood loss, like drained of blood."

"Whoa." Jeremy said. "You really knew what to look for."

"Look, I'm not trying to force my beliefs on you or anything, but the facts here don't lie." Anna told him. "Anyway, I've got some studying of my own to do. I'll see you around." She walked out of the aisle.

"Wait." Jeremy got up to go follow her. By the time he stepped out, it was like she'd disappeared. He turned back to the notes in his hand. He knew he had to finish the paper, but couldn't help but wonder what was up with Anna.


	2. Chapter 2

A few days later, Jeremy found Anna at the library again. "Anna."

"Hey. How'd it go?" She asked him.

"I got an A." Jeremy told her. "Thanks for the articles. They really helped."

"What'd he say about…" Anna cut herself off.

"I don't really believe it. Anyway, it was just a school paper." Jeremy said. "I should get going."

"Hey, if you need help with anything, let me know." Anna told him. She didn't know why she felt comfortable around him.

"I'm stuck helping out at the school dance tonight."

"Bummer. How'd that happen?" Anna asked.

"I'm failing a class, so they're making me work."

"Maybe I should tutor you in English instead of History." Anna suggested.

"I appreciate the help." Jeremy said. "I'll be seeing you, then."

A few hours later, she felt something leading her away from the library. "Either something's going on or I don't know what's happening." She realized. She found herself at the school. She decided to check out the dance. She noticed a few familiar people and prayed they wouldn't see her.

It didn't take her long to find Jeremy. "Hey, I had no idea this was a theme party."

"What are you doing here?" Jeremy asked.

"I just thought I'd stop by for a little while." Anna told him. She didn't want to admit that she had no clue herself. "Besides, I've never really been to a school dance before." She admitted.

"Really?"

"Well, I technically don't go to school, so…"

"Right. But you're really smart. Have you considered getting a GED?" Jeremy asked her.

"Of course I have. But I've been too distracted with family problems to worry about it right now." Anna told him. "By the way, is there any way I can borrow you're ancestor's journal? There's something I wanted to check."

"I'm sorry. I don't have it." Jeremy told her.

"Well, obviously you wouldn't have it here."

"I gave it to my history teacher." He explained.

"Why'd you give it to him?" Anna asked. Not that it would stop her, but she was still curious.

"He wanted to read it."

"It's probably in his classroom." Anna said.

"It's gotta be locked by now." Jeremy pointed out. "I don't see what the big deal is." Then she felt another presence nearby, but it felt slightly darker. "You okay?"

"Fine. I'm just cold, that's all." Anna lied. "I have to go. I'll meet you later." She walked out of the gym only to find one of the vampires who'd showed up.

"What are you doing here?" He asked her. "You're supposed to be dead."

"I am and I'm sticking to the plan." Anna told him. "Unlike you. I'm warning you this once, leave the girl alone."

"I like her. She looks like Katherine."

"Katherine's in the tomb." Anna pointed out. "It isn't her."

"I know, but until it's open, I can deal with her."

"You're an idiot." Anna said. "The Salvatores are with her."

"They don't scare me. They never did."

"Don't. You're going to ruin everything." Anna warned him.

"You don't even know if they can see you, ghost girl." He pointed out. "Besides, you're looking for the journal. Go ahead, but I'm still dealing with them." Anna watched as he left, in shock. She thought of warning Jeremy, but realized how stupid she'd sound. She decided to look around the halls for a while. If anything happened to the girl, she'd be able to try and help from the shadows.

Soon enough, the girl ran through the hallway as Anna's ex-partner in crime followed slowly behind her. Anna knew she had to figure out how to buy her some time, but how? Then she remembered that ghosts had some abilities. She used her powers to throw him back. She had no idea how it worked, but at least it slowed him down enough for the girl to get to safety.

"I told you not to do this." Anna told him.

"Like I'm going to let some dead girl stop me."

"You can't hurt me, remember?" Anna pointed out. She watched as he got up and went after her again. Anna groaned. It seemed like her job was never done. Just then, the Salvatore brothers showed up. She never thought she'd ever be relieved to see them.

After several minutes, they finally killed him. But not before he told them how to get into the tomb. The fact made Anna realize why she can finally be seen. "Check Johnathan Gilbert's journal."

Anna headed back to the library. She looked at the paper that Jeremy had shown her and looked at the name. Now she was sure. He was a descendent of the Gilbert line.


	3. Chapter 3

Anna ended up meeting Ben at some hotel the following morning. "I thought you were dead."

"Technically, you're dead, too." Anna pointed out.

"But, I saw you're body. You were staked from behind."

"Please, like anyone else will find it." Anna said. "Speaking of finding things…"

"You found the Gilbert journal?" He asked.

"I don't have it with me, but I can get it." Anna told him. Ben looked around the room. "You seem distracted."

"It's Bonnie." He explained. "I don't want to hurt her or anything, but if it's for the mission…"

"No." Anna said firmly. "There are other ways than forcing them to do something against their free will."

"Why'd you turn me?"

"I needed someone to be my eyes and ears. Any bartender could've done it really, but you seemed like a good fit." Anna explained. "Please don't make me regret this. I already regret getting Noah involved. I mean it, Ben. Don't do anything stupid."

At the school, Anna got in easily since no one else was around. She entered one of the classrooms. Just then, she heard a noise. She went into another classroom to find the teacher aiming some kind of firearm at Stefan. For a second, she panicked. She knew that the teacher probably couldn't see her, but Stefan could. Quickly and quietly, she found the journal on his desk.

While they were talking, she quickly got out of the room. She had no idea how she could still use some of her vampire abilities, but it came in handy sometimes.

"Where's the Gilbert journal?" Stefan asked him.

"It's on my desk."

"No, it's not." He pointed out. That's when he noticed the journal was missing.

"It _was_ on my desk." The teacher corrected.

"So, find anything?" Anna jumped. She hadn't heard Ben come up behind her.

"Not yet. It's hard to read." She told him. "Some people shouldn't journal, you know?"

"That's why I don't keep one."

"I thought you were going on a date." Anna said.

"I am." Ben told her. "It'll be fun."

"I'm going to the library. I'll see you later." Anna told him. She was gone in an instant.

A few hours later, she was waiting at the Grill. Jeremy found her in the corner near the pool table. "Hey."

"Hey. You always find me so fast."

"Well, you're always hidden in these weird places." Jeremy pointed out.

"I have my reasons. I don't ask you why you decided to write on supernatural myths." Anna said.

"So, are we gonna play, or what?" The two of them started playing a game. Anna almost felt alive again. Almost. "Man, things at home are weird."

"Wanna tell me about it?"

"It's like everyone's looking for that journal I told you about." Jeremy told her. "It's kinda like I'm in the middle of something when I have no idea what's going on."

"I know how that feels." Anna said. Did she ever. When she first saw her body when after she had died, she'd panicked. She had no idea how she was going to save her mother if she was a ghost. Worse, what if Pearl couldn't see her? She decided to continue with the plan, but on her own, without harming anyone.

"It's been nice seeing you again."

"You too." Anna said. "I have to meet a friend, but I'll see you tomorrow, okay?" She walked out of the Grill. It wasn't long before she was back in Ben's hotel room.

What she wasn't expecting was for Damon Salvatore to come up behind her. He tried to grab her, but his hand went through her as though she were transparent. "You're…"

"I know. You don't have to say it." Anna told him. "I wondered if you'd be able to see me."

"How long have you been like this?" Damon asked.

"A few weeks. One of the guys I was working with literally stabbed me in the back with a stake." Anna explained. "They've gotten out of control."

"How long ago did you get here?"

"I arrived around half-past comet, watching you mess up every chance you had to open the tomb."

"How do you know about the spell?"

"I didn't say much back in those days, so I heard everything." Anna told him. "That, and Emily was protecting someone I'm close to as well."

"If you've been here the whole time, how come I never saw you when you were still a vampire?"

"I used others to do my dirty work."

"Like that Logan Fell jerk? By the way, thanks for turning him. That idiot shot at me."

"He was an idiot. I gave him some blood when he decided to start playing the vampire slayer, especially with the compass." Anna said. "I needed his family's journal, so I wasn't going to let him die yet."

"Why did you need the Fell journal?"

"I thought it had the location of the spell book, but I was wrong." Anna said. "According to the journal, Honoria gave it to Jonathan Gilbert. And after going through this…" She held up the Gilbert journal. "He gave it to your father. And now I need your help."

"Why would I help you?"

"Because I think my only partner is planning to do something that'll endanger a lot of people." Anna said. "And we both want to open the tomb."

"Can't you stop him yourself?"

"My powers are limited." Anna explained. "I can't do much in the physical world without another person helping."

"That's your problem." Damon turned to go. "No offense, but I work alone." Anna sighed. She knew this wouldn't be easy. A few minutes later, Ben came in, carrying an unconscious girl.

"What did you do?" Anna asked.

"We need her help, Anna. She's a witch."

"I told you we weren't going to do this." Anna said. "Besides, now she's less likely to help."

"That's why I arranged to kidnap her little friend. The one who was responsible for our friend's death."

"No." Anna said. "I won't let you do this." She disappeared and found herself in Jeremy's house. Or outside it, actually. She went inside to see if the girl was okay.

"Anna, what are you doing here?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm not here for long." She told him. "I think I gave something to your sister and wanted to see if she still had it."

"Go ahead." Anna followed him upstairs. She found the girl's room, but didn't see any sign of her. Then she noticed the curtain blowing. She was too late. She heard someone coming upstairs, fast. She left just as quickly as she'd come in. She knew that right now, she was the only one who could try to help the girls Ben kidnapped.


	4. Chapter 4

In the hotel room, Elena looked around. She tried to sneak past Ben, but it didn't work. "I wouldn't." She backed up. "Don't try to escape. Don't even move. Understand?"

"I understand." Elena said. She bolted for the door. Anna appeared in front of Ben.

"Are you insane?"

"I told her not to move. I even tried to compel her." Ben told her.

"She's wearing vervain. She dates a vampire, Ben." Anna pointed out. "And you shouldn't have done that anyway. I told you not to do this."

"Who are you?" Elena asked. Anna didn't know if she was addressing her or Ben.

"It doesn't matter." Ben said. He pushed her into the bathroom.

"You're an even bigger idiot than Noah." Anna said.

"Don't compare me to that loser, ghost girl." Ben told her. "Who do you think killed you?" Anna just looked at him in anger. He headed toward the bathroom. Elena and Bonnie were talking.

"They need a witch to open the tomb."

"No way." Bonnie said. That's when Ben came in. "You're wasting your time. I'm not gonna help you."

"That's why she's here." Ben said, pointing to Elena. "Motivation for you to behave. This was just too easy." He started to leave. "You two can come out into the room now." He told them, not once turning back.

Elena and Bonnie sat down on one of the beds. Anna appeared next to her. "Elena, I'm so sorry about all this." She said.

Elena looked in her direction. So did Bonnie. "Who are you?" Elena asked.

"Anna. I'm a friend of your brother's." She explained. She looked closer at her. "Whoa, no wonder they're attracted to you. You look just like her."

"I get that a lot." Elena knew she meant Katherine.

"Look, I'm not opening the tomb." Bonnie said.

"I knew you'd say that. If these were better circumstances, I would've asked." Anna said.

"Do you really want Katherine out of there?"

"Please, no one I know wants to see that girl again." Anna told her. "Well, except for Damon, anyway."

"So then what…" Elena began to ask.

"My mom's trapped in there." Anna explained. "When Katherine got caught, my mom did, too. I saw Johnathan Gilbert take her in there."

"I'm sorry."

"Guess it's no use bonding over my past mistakes, trusting the wrong people." Anna said.

"You knew he was going to kidnap us?" Bonnie asked.

"No. I told him I was against this, but he didn't listen. I had no idea he'd kidnap both of you." Anna said. It wasn't a total lie. She hadn't expected him to kidnap Elena.

Just then, Elena's cell phone rang. Anna looked at her. Elena answered it. "Elena? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Elena told him. "For now, anyway. But the guy who took us wants Bonnie to open the tomb."

"Where are you?"

"I have no idea." Elena said.

"May I?" Anna asked. Elena reluctantly handed her the phone. "Don't worry. I'll try to make sure they stay safe."

"Who are…Anna?"

"I have to go out for a few minutes, but I should be back by the time you find us." Anna told him. "You can trust me."

"You know Stefan?" Elena asked.

"We kinda have a similar past, if you know what I mean." She told her.

"You're a vam…"

"Not exactly." Anna said. She walked toward the door. "There's something I need to do, but I'll be back in a flash." She headed outside so she could think about how to handle this mess. She found herself in the town square, not knowing how it happened so fast.

"Hey." She turned around. It was Jeremy.

"Sorry I left like that last night." She told him. "I had something to deal with."

"You wanna come to a party tonight?"

"Are you asking me out?" Anna asked. She was nervous about this.

"What? Of course not. I just figured you could use a break from all that studying you've been doing." Jeremy told her. "Sure, the guy throwing it's an idiot, but it's been a while since I last went to one. It's in the woods near the old cemetery."

"Oh, that sounds creepy." Anna said, trying to react like a normal person. "I'll meet you over there. But I probably won't stay long."

"That's cool." He left. Anna wanted to slap herself. Why in the world had she agreed to this?

"So, I heard you kidnapped my brother's girl."

"I had no hand in that whatsoever." Anna said. "In fact I'm trying to save her."

"Look, I thought it over and decided to give you a chance to help."

"I'll meet you at the church, then." Anna told him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have two hostages I need to rescue." She disappeared from the area. When she got back to the hotel, Ben was talking to the girls.

"Witches don't have eternal life, right?" He asked. "So you guys can die."

**"**Yeah, we can die." Bonnie told him.

"That sucks."

"Ben, let them go right now!" Anna said. "If you lay a hand on either of them I'll…"

"You'll what? What can you possibly do to me?" Ben asked. "You don't have the power to kill me." Suddenly, the door burst open. Ben screamed as his skin burned. Anna was glad she decided not to give him protection from sunlight.

"Stefan!" Elena ran over to him.

"Get outside. All of you!" He told the girls. They all ran out of the room while he went to deal with Ben.

"Come on." Bonnie said. Stefan caught up with the rest of the group in no time.

"How'd you know where to find us?" Elena asked.

"I had help from another witch." Stefan told them.

"Where are we going?" Anna asked.

"My place. Well, my Grams' place, anyway." Bonnie said as they continued to run.

Back at their house, Bonnie was speaking with her. **"**How did you know where we were?" Bonnie asked.

**"**Many things can feel a witch's power. Worry, anger. After Stefan told me that they had taken you, I had a lot of both." Grams explained to her. "Simple locator spell was easy after that."

**"**I'm sorry. About all of this."

**"**Not as sorry as they're gonna be." Stefan and Elena entered the room just then.

_"_So what do we do now?" Elena asked.

"For now, you need to stay here." Stefan told Grams.

"A prisoner, in my own home? I don't think so." She told him.

"I can't protect you if you leave the house." He pointed out.

"We'll protect ourselves."

"We need to let him have Katherine back." Elena said. "He's not going to stop until he gets her. If we help him, maybe that ends it."

**"**No! He doesn't deserve to get what he wants." Bonnie protested.

**"**What other choice do we have?" Elena pointed out.

**"**Witches being pulled down by vampire problems. As much as we tried to do to stay out of it." Grams sighed.

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault." Anna told them. They all looked up at her. Grams looked at her and seemed surprised.

"My goodness, child. How did this happen?"

"What do you mean, Grams?" Bonnie asked.

"You mean you couldn't sense there was something off?" Grams asked her. Bonnie shook her head. "That's understandable, since you're still a beginner."

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked. He kind of had an idea of where this was going.

"I'm talking about the fact that you're friend is a ghost." Grams said. Elena looked at Anna in surprise.

"Then why can I see her?" Elena asked.

"I don't know." Anna said. "I've been trying to figure out why Jeremy can see me. Normally, regular humans can't see us unless they either have the ability to or…" She noticed something hanging from Elena's wrist. "Where'd you find that?"

"I found it at the Founder's Party." Elena told them. "I thought it may have been part of the display, but they said they'd never seen it before. I've held onto it since."

"Well, that explains why you can see me." Anna said. "I lost it the night I ran off. Emily must have found it and put it there."

"Mostly witches and mediators can see spirits, as well as people that knew them." Grams explained. "What is your name?"

"Anna."

"You know her, don't you?" Elena asked.

"She used to help out in the apothecary in 1864." Stefan told her.

"How is this your fault?" Bonnie asked.

"My partners turned on me." Anna said. "I also wanted to get into the tomb, but only because my mother's in there. But then they wanted revenge, so they killed me after I came into town. I've been trying to stop them, but there's only so much I can do. Our powers are limited on the other side."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but we'll help." Elena said. "You were trying to do the right thing. You didn't know it'd turn out badly."

"I'll open the tomb. You get your brother's girl, and you're mother out of there and destroy the rest with fire. Then this will be all over." Grams told them.

**"**We still have to get Damon to agree." Stefan pointed out.

"I asked him to help earlier and he seemed up to it." Anna told them.

**"**Yeah, then we double crossed him. So now he's angry." Stefan explained.

**"**He's hurt. There's a difference." Elena pointed out. "I think I know what I have to do."

"Good luck." Anna said. Elena left the room. "How do you know you can trust me?"

"Because I sense a lot of light in you." Grams explained. She turned to her granddaughter, who seemed confused. "Spirits of those who lived before usually carry an essence of either light or darkness."

"Yeah, I think I heard about that before." Bonnie said. "We studied it in class once, during world myths."

"I hate to leave you like this, but I have to go now. I'll meet you guys later." Anna told them. She faded from their view.

"Do you really think we can trust her?" Bonnie asked her Grandmother.

"From what I heard, she wanted to help free you from the guy who had you hostage, remember?"

"That's right." Bonnie said.

That night, Anna appeared in the woods. It didn't take her long to find Jeremy. Luckily, she brought her own blood supply and wouldn't need his help, but she still wanted to see him before she left for the tomb. "Thank god you're here." He said when she came over to him.

"What's wrong?" Anna asked.

"Nothing, it's nothing." Jeremy told her. "Just been a very weird night so far."

"Want to talk about it?" Anna walked next to him as they headed into the woods. "so, what's up?"

"It's just, being back there reminded me about when I used to get high." Jeremy explained.

"You did that?"

"I know, it was stupid. But I lost my parents and nearly lost my sister, too." Jeremy said. "And then my…" Anna waited while he struggled to find the words. "Let's just say my friend left town. Now that I think about it, I feel like she used me."

"That sounds rough." Anna said.

"I'm not sure where I fit in, you know?" Jeremy told her. "It's hard. Not knowing where you belong."

"I know." Anna told him. "But I don't know how long I'm staying around for. I could leave at any minute." She explained. It was true. She didn't know whether or not she'd cross over once she saved her mother.

"Well, you should make the best with whatever time you have."

"I know." For some reason, she felt hollow saying it. "I hope I'll see you again."

"Same here." Jeremy told her. He reached out to touch her hand, but she pulled away. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"Anna…" He held her hand. Anna gasped when she realized that he could touch her. Suddenly, he fell to the ground.

"What are you doing?" She asked Ben.

"Following the plan."

"Plan's off! I brought my own blood supply with me." Anna told him. Luckily, Stefan showed up at that moment.

"Is it dark in there?"

"I thought I told you to leave." Stefan pointed out.

"I considered it."

"Stefan, he's going to kill Jeremy." Anna told him. "Give me a hand here."

"Please, there's nothing you can…" Ben's words were cut off as Anna pushed him back with her powers.

"Don't mess with my friends. Ever." Anna said. She turned to Stefan. "I'm already late. I'm going down there. I'll meet you at the door."

"Why can't I move?" Ben asked.

"You're an idiot, that's why." Anna told him.

"Why you little…" Suddenly, Ben was surrounded by fire. Anna turned and saw Stefan.

"Go, I don't know how long I can hold him off." Anna disappeared and showed up at the tomb.

"What took you so long?" Bonnie asked.

"I had a problem to take care of." Anna explained. "But I'm here now." She headed into the tomb.

"Will she be able to get out of there?"

"I believe so." Grams told her. "It shouldn't effect her since she's a ghost."

In the tomb, Elena was walking around by herself. "It's dangerous for you to be in here." She turned around and saw Anna.

"Didn't really have a choice." Elena said.

"It must be hard to always get involved in these supernatural situations." Anna said. She found a figure lying near her. "Mother. You know, you're ancestor was responsible for this."

"I know."

"But I don't want revenge anymore." Anna said. "You might want to stand back." Elena backed away from the body she was standing near. Anna used the blood bag she brought with her. Elena looked in surprise as Pearl returned her normal state.

"Anna, where are we?"

"I'll explain later. Let's go." Anna said. They headed to the tomb entrance. Elena and Anna got out. "Mom?"

"I can't get out."

"Oh, no."

"We have to fix this mess." Bonnie pointed out. "Elena promised Damon we wouldn't do this again. Grams, you have to help me."

"Okay." The witches combined their power and started the spell to lift the seal off the tomb. At that moment, Stefan returned.

"Are you okay?" He asked Elena. She just nodded.

"I think it's working." Elena said as they kept chanting.

"How's Jeremy?" Anna asked.

"He's okay." Stefan told her.

"Bonnie, keep going." Grams encouraged her. "You have to hurry!"

"Damon's still in there!" Elena realized. "And they can't hold it much longer."

"Mother, stand out there with Stefan. I'm going to try to find him." Anna told her. "Elena, come on." They both went back inside.

A few minutes later, everyone made it out okay. Elena and the guys left first. Anna stayed down with her mom and the witches. "Thanks for your help, you two." Anna told them. "I'm sorry things got so out of hand."

"It's alright." Grams told her. "You were just a victim of circumstances."

"Besides, you tried to help us earlier when your friend had us." Bonnie pointed out.

"We will be going now." Pearl told them.

"Come on. I know a safe place we can use for couple days." Anna told her. The two of them walked out of the church ruins.

"How long has it been?"

"About a century and a half." Anna explained. "But I'll help you adjust and explain everything."

At the Gilberts House, Elena was helping Jeremy. "How's your head?"

**"**Oh,, it's, uh, it's all right. I just…I wish I knew how I passed out." Jeremy told her. "I didn't drink that much, I swear."

"And you don't remember anything?"

**"**I remember talking with Anna and that's about it. Sorry."

**"**No, Jeremy, don't be sorry. You didn't do anything, ok?" Elena pointed out. "Besides, your friend's really cool." She didn't want to tell him what she knew about Anna.

"You've met her?"

"Yeah. She seems really nice." Elena told him. "I have to go to Bonnie's. Will you be okay here?"

"Yeah."

Back at the hotel, Anna and Pearl were surprised to see Damon waiting for them. "Katherine wasn't in there."

"Oh, God. I am so sorry, Damon." Anna said. She sat next to him. "I honestly had no idea."

"How did this happen?" He wondered to himself.

"She compelled the guard." Pearl explained to them. "She promised to turn him. Like everyone else, he was obsessed with her. He let her out."

"Do you think she's…"

"If she were dead, I'd be able to sense it." Anna told him. "Heck, I probably would've seen her on the other side if she were. As far as I know, she's still out there somewhere. Maybe she just didn't want to be rescued." He got up and left. Anna turned to her mother.

"I feel so terrible about what happened."

"It wasn't your fault. You couldn't have known she wasn't in there." Pearl pointed out.

"Yeah, but I still feel I like I should do something to make it up to him." Anna said.

"If it's one thing about us, it's that we eventually learn to heal." Pearl said.

"I'm going to get some sleep." Anna told her. She wasn't ready to tell her mom she was really dead yet. "Goodnight, Mother."

"Goodnight, Anna." Pearl watched as she left the room. Anna knew she couldn't keep hiding her secret from everyone. But there were some people who still couldn't know yet.


	5. Chapter 5

A week after the tomb incident, Anna had a serious headache. Most of the tomb vampires had taken up residence in their house. It was going to be even harder for her to break the news to her mom.

She headed into the kitchen, where her mom was showing Harper how to use a cell phone. "I was just showing him what you taught me."

"It's pretty cool." Harper said.

"Yeah, most changes are hard to adjust to, but some of these things can be useful." Anna told him.

"So, do you have a boyfriend?"

"Of course not. I'm not dating anyone." Anna said.

"What do you think?" Pearl asked as she showed Anna her outfit.

"Very respectable."

"That's the idea. Can't say that I miss those corsets."

"I know a short cut into town if you're willing to walk." Anna told her. She knew her mom had no idea how to drive.

"Well, lead the way." One of the vampires entered the room.

"Where are you going?" Anna rolled her eyes. Fredrick was always causing problems.

"We have some business in town. We'll be back as soon as we can. I trust that you'll keep an eye on things."

"So, I'm the baby sitter now?"

"Frederick, if this is going to work we have to cooperate with one another." Pearl reminded him.

"Besides, it's not like we'll be gone long." Anna said. "At least, I hope not."

"I'll watch things miss Pearl." Harper offered.

"Thank you, Harper." Pearl told him. Anna and Pearl headed outside.

A few hours later, she and Pearl were in the town square. "I really don't think you should've done that." Anna told her. They had left the Boarding House a few minutes ago. "He's been through a lot and trust me, you don't want to make him angry."

"Well, I understand he's already part of the council."

"Yeah, so that no one like us gets caught. Besides, you really don't know where she is, do you?" Anna pointed out. "I don't want to let him down like that ever again."

Outside, they ran into a woman. "Uh, Mother. I'm going to be over there. I'll see you in a few hours."

"Miss Sommers?" Pearl asked.

"Yes. Hi Pearl."

"This property was in my brother in law's family for generations." Jenna explained. "It's one of the originals structure in Mystic Falls. It used to be one of those old fashioned drugstore thingies."

"You mean an apothecary." Pearl said.

"Yeah." Jenna said. "Sorry if it's a little musty. No one has been here for months."

"That's perfectly okay." Pearl turned and looked around for Anna.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, I'm just trying to see where Anna went."

"Oh, Jeremy's friend? I heard she has a habit of disappearing." Jenna told her as they headed inside.

That evening, Anna was wondering how she was going to explain the ghost thing to her mom. She figured she needed to clear her head and there was only one person she could explain the problem to.

She found herself standing outside the Gilbert's house. Jeremy got the door. "Anna?"

"Hi."

"I thought you were leaving."

"Doesn't look like it. I just needed someone to talk to." Anna said.

"I'm just surprised, that's all. I haven't seen you the last few days."

"I've been a little busy." Anna told him.

"So, what's up?" Jeremy asked.

"Well, my mom got this business opportunity. It's always been her dream to open this store." Anna said. "I'll probably be spending more time at the library, though."

"You're such a bookworm."

"Well, I just wouldn't fit into the high school scene." Anna told him. "Besides, not like my mom would ever know about it."

"I was going to do more research about the vampire topic." Jeremy told her.

"I thought you would've dropped it by now."

"I just wanted to understand why people were labeled as vampires back then." Jeremy told her. "I mean, maybe they're real, maybe they're not. They might just be different from the way we pictured them."

"What do you mean?" Anna asked.

"Maybe they're just normal outsiders, like us. Misunderstood."

"If only that were true." Anna said.

"Don't you think it's possible?" Jeremy asked. "I mean, you did give me all that information."

"That's only because I have a thing for supernatural myths." Anna told him. "I focus on various studies and beings."

The two of them went into the kitchen. "I ate before I left." Anna said.

"No problem." Anna turned to wait in the living room, when she heard him curse under his breath. She turned around and saw his hand bleeding.

"What happened?"

"I hate when that happens." Jeremy told her. "Quick, get a towel or something!"

"That is seriously gross." Anna looked away and headed toward the towels.

"You don't like blood, do you?" Without looking at Jeremy, she threw a towel at him. Not only did he catch it in his non-bloody hand, but she also realized that she had used her powers to send it to him.

"No, I don't like blood." She said, turning to face him.

"Wait, if you're not a vampire, what are you?" Jeremy asked. Anna just looked at him, embarrassed that he found out this way. Jenna came in and he headed toward her. Anna took this opportunity and disappeared from the kitchen. By the time Jeremy got back, she was gone.

Anna found herself back at the house she and her mom were living in. "Where have you been?" Pearl asked.

"I needed some air." Anna told her.

"For three hours?" Pearl asked her. "It was like you just vanished."

"I'm sorry. I had to visit a friend." Anna said.

"What's going on with you?"

"It's nothing. Really." Anna told her. She wasn't ready to have this conversation. "There are some things that I can't talk about, okay?" She ran upstairs.

A few minutes later, Anna returned to the Gilbert house. She found herself in Jeremy's bedroom. "Whoa! Don't do that again." He said when she appeared in front of him.

"Sorry, it's a really bad habit." Anna said.

"How long have you been…"

"Not very long." Anna told him. "Why'd you think I was a vampire?"

"I knew this girl, Vicki." Jeremy explained. "Vicki. She was attacked by an animal, a bite to the neck. She started acting crazy, weird, and it seemed like drugs, but then you showed me those articles. And you kept appearing out of nowhere and then disappearing a few minutes into a conversation. So, are they real?"

"Yes, vampires are real. But you can't tell anyone, okay?"

"Who would believe me?" Jeremy asked.

"You'd be surprised." Anna told him.

"Why do you always show up around me?"

"I don't know." Anna told him. "You're one of the few normal humans who can see me."

"Are there others?"

"Unless they have a supernatural gift or knew me when I was alive, no one else can see me." Anna said. "Except you."

"Why is that?"

"I don't know. Why did you ask me about the vampire stuff anyway?"

"Because if it's true, then maybe Vicki's still out there somewhere." Jeremy told her. "I just wanted to know if she was okay."

"I'll see you around. I'm supposed to be at home." Anna told him. She faded away in front of him. He lay down on his bed and went to sleep. He hoped that this was all just some weird dream.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Anna appeared in Jeremy's room. "Hi."

"I thought I dreamed it." Jeremy said. "You're still a ghost, aren't you?"

"Pretty much." Anna said. She looked outside at the rainstorm. "I love watching rainstorms."

"How is it that you appear to be so normal?"

"Just something you pick up on when you're a ghost, I guess." Anna said. "One thing you should know about the supernatural, don't believe anything you read."

"What can you tell me?" Jeremy asked.

"Well, all you need to know is that I used to be a vampire. I was literally stabbed in the back."

"Okay…"

"Don't worry, I don't have any of my vampire powers." Anna told him. "I'm still trying to figure out how some of my current abilities work."

"That must be hard."

"It is. I'll meet you later." Anna said. She heard Elena's footsteps and didn't want her to know she was there. She faded away.

"Hey, you awake?" Elena asked.

"What's up?"

"We need help making sure the windows are closed."

"I'm on it." Jeremy said, getting out of bed.

A few hours later, he met with Anna at the Grill. "Hey, I'm meeting my mom here later."

"Does she know you're a…"

"No." Anna told him. "She has no idea I'm really dead. It's going to be hard to break the news to her that her only vampire daughter was staked from behind."

"You want me to be there when you tell her?"

"No!" Anna said. "No, it's just…she kinda has a grudge against your ancestor, Jonathan Gilbert."

"She won't have to know I'm descended from him."

"News travels fast in the vampire world, Jer." Anna said. "That's a nice bracelet."

"Thanks. My sister gave it to me."

"She doesn't know we're hanging out, does she?"

"No, but I don't see how it's a problem. You said I was the only human who could see you." Jeremy pointed out.

"I said you were one of the only people who could see me. There are others." Anna corrected him. "You should never take that thing off."

"Why not?"

"It's for protection." Anna explained.

"Are there any rouge spirits I need to worry about?"

"No, but don't forget vampires are out there, too." Anna reminded him.

"Are you telling me this because you like me or something?"

"What? Of course not. It's just, look, I don't have any friends on the other side, okay?" Anna admitted. "I'm mostly alone."

"I know how it feels." Jeremy said. "I'm a bit of a loner myself."

"Really? I kinda pegged you for more of the school nerd type." Anna told him.

"Yeah, but there are times where I wake up and feel like there's something missing." Jeremy explained. "Most people fit in, but I don't."

"Everyone goes through that, Jer. Even if their lives are already over." Anna said. She noticed her mother walk in. "I'll see you later." She got up and went over to Pearl.

"Hey, Mom."

"Did you get everything?" Pearl asked.

"Yeah, I went pretty fast." Anna told her. "I dropped off some of them at home before coming here."

"Who was that you were talking to?"

"Just a friend I met at the library." Anna told her. She walked past her. A few minutes later, Jeremy walked over to her.

"You sure you can't stay?"

"My mom's right there." Anna told him.

"Oh." Jeremy said. "I guess you're gonna have to tell her now, aren't you?"

"It appears so." Anna tried to walk out of the Grill, but Pearl stopped her.

"Jeremy Gilbert? That's what you've been up to?" Pearl asked.

"He's my only friend." Anna told her. "What's the big deal?"

"His family's the reason I was stuck in a tomb for over a century."

"That doesn't mean he's like them." Anna said.

"I want you to stop seeing him."

"I'm afraid that's not possible." Anna told her. "I've been on my own for a long time, mother. I can do whatever I want."

"As soon as Jeremy finds out what you really are, he'll turn on you." Pearl told her.

"He knows what I am, Mom. You're the only one who doesn't." Anna said.

"What does that mean?" Pearl gasped as Anna started to fade, then reappeared.

"I'm not a vampire anymore. And Jeremy's one of the only people who can see me." Anna told her.

"How did this happen?"

"Ben staked me in the back after one of our meetings." Anna said. "He was a rookie vampire, thought he could handle things on his own, disagreed with me a lot…so here I am."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't know how to." Anna told her. "But I didn't want to give up on getting you out of there."

"I think his ancestor could see them, too." Pearl told her. "But at the time I thought those were just stories."

"I'll meet you at the house. I'll explain everything later." Anna told her. Jeremy watched her fade away.

The minute she appeared at the house, she knew something was wrong. She went inside and saw most of the vampires fighting against Damon and some vampire hunter. "What are you doing?" Anna asked.

"He's the reason we were locked up in there." One of them said. Anna groaned. She decided to be more specific.

"Damon, why are you even here?"

"They kidnapped Stefan."

"Who are you talking to?" The vampire hunter asked. Then Anna recognized him as Jeremy's history teacher.

"Long story short, we have a ghostly friend." Damon told him. "Though mostly she's a little annoying."

"Hey!" Anna used her powers to make him fall back.

"And apparently cannot take a joke." Damon added. At that moment, Pearl arrived.

"Stop. What's going on here? What did you do?" She asked.

"Me? Your merry little band of vampires spent the day torturing my brother."

"He's telling the truth, Mother." Anna said. "I got here right in the middle of the fight."

"Trust me. The parties responsible for this will be dealt with."

"I can narrow it down to everyone in this house except for Harper." Anna told her. Damon turned to her questioningly. "He doesn't believe in all that revenge crap."

"This wasn't supposed to happen." Pearl sighed.

"Well, it did." Damon pointed out. "If I had a good side...Not a way to get on it." He and the hunter left the house.

That night, Jeremy was in his room. He was really depressed. Anna was already waiting for him. She noticed his expression. "What's wrong?"

"It's Vicki. She's dead." Jeremy told her.

"The one that you thought had turn…" Anna began.

"Yeah. It turns out she's been dead the whole time." He told her.

"I'm so sorry." Anna said. She couldn't believe her bad luck. First she let Damon down, and now Jeremy's friend was gone. "She meant a lot to you, didn't she?"

"Yeah, but we weren't really on good terms before she left." Jeremy told her. "I guess I wanted to apologize to her about it."

"Want to tell me about her?" Anna asked. The two of them talked all night and she never disappeared once.


	7. Chapter 7

Jeremy was surprised when Anna appeared at school. "What are you doing here?" He asked her.

"I wanted to surprise you." Anna told him.

"You seem to have a habit of that."

"I just had to get away from things for a while." Anna said.

"Meet me at my place after school." Jeremy told her.

"Okay."

That afternoon, the two of them were talking in Jeremy's room. "So, your mother was in love with Johnathan Gilbert, and he betrayed her?"

"Pretty much." Anna said.

"And now my uncle John wants this invention-device thing that she gave to Damon."

"Yeah, I think it's a good thing she did. If she that thing activated, she could get hurt or maybe killed." Anna told him.

"John mentioned there were more Gilbert journals. I bet that's how he knows everything." Jeremy said. "And you're mom, is she…"

"Of course she is. She saved me when she turned me." Anna told explained. "I probably shouldn't have said anything, it could get you in big trouble."

"I won't tell anyone."

"You're uncle wants her dead, you know."

"You don't know that." Jeremy said.

"I'm a ghost. I can see things about people that some people can't even see themselves." Anna told him. "I can tell he wants her gone."

"Even if that's true, there's nothing I can do about it." Jeremy pointed out.

"I know." Anna told him. "But at least everyone else is on you're side, even if you can't see that."

"How do you know?"

"Because I'm one of those people." Anna said. "Well, you know what I mean." Jeremy glanced at the door. "What?"

"Sometimes I worry that Jenna will walk in and find me talking to…"

"Got it." Anna said. "Though, she's still downstairs right now. I can kind of sense people's movements."

"That's pretty cool."

"It doesn't always work, though." Anna told him.

A few hours later, she was back at her mother's house. "I felt you calling me." Anna said. "What's wrong?"

"There's something I need to tell you." Pearl said. She sat down. "I'm leaving."

"What?"

"I was wrong to think I could start over here. I've got to move on." Pearl explained. "Besides, it's too dangerous. Too many people know the truth about me."

"Will I still be able to see you?"

"Of course. I'd call you as soon as I found somewhere else." Pearl pointed out. "You gave me my life back, I don't want it to be for nothing." Anna disappeared. She needed time to get used to the idea.

Jeremy was asleep when Anna found him. "Jeremy?"

"Yeah?"

"Sorry I woke you up."

"It's fine. What's up?"

"My family's moving." Anna said. "I'm not sure what will happen once they leave."

"Are you afraid that you'll disappear? I mean, for real?"

"Yeah. Once the vampire problem's taken care of and my mother's free, what'll happen to me?" Anna pointed out. "There'd be nothing left here, I'd move on, disappear, whatever."

"Well, until that happens, you've always got friends on this side."

"Thanks, Jer." Anna said.

A few minutes later, she got back to Pearl's house. She felt her mom call her, so she knew something was wrong. "Mom?" She called. Then she found Pearl and Harper on the ground, both of them staked in the heart. "Mom! Oh, no!" She went over to her side. "Mom, please wake up." She knew it was pointless, though. She could feel she was really gone this time.

After spending what felt like hours to try and sense any trace of her mother, she decided to visit Jeremy again. She appeared in his room a few minutes later. "Anna? What's going on?"

"My mother's dead." Anna told him.

"What?"

"Someone killed her. And no matter what I try, I can't find her. She's gone." Anna told him.

"I'm sorry." Jeremy said. "I should've done something…"

"There was nothing you could've done, you couldn't have stopped it." Anna pointed out. She was surprised when she thought she felt Jeremy holding her hand. She looked down. Slowly, the two of them embraced each other. They jumped apart, surprised by what was going on.

"How the…" Jeremy began.

"Did you…feel that?" Anna asked. He nodded. "How is this possible?"

"I don't know. You're the expert on ghost stuff."

"But I've never known about this in my life." Anna told him. "Or my afterlife." They looked at each other.


	8. Chapter 8

Early the next morning, Anna was in Jeremy's room. "What's the occasion?"

"I'm part of the Founder's parade." Jeremy told her.

"Wow. I didn't know about that." Anna told him. "They still celebrate that?"

"Yeah." Jeremy said. "So, what happens now?"

"I don't know. But I think the vampires that used to live with mother and I are planning something." She told him. "Be careful."

"No problem."

"Still mad at Elena?"

"Yeah." Jeremy said. "I still can't believe she had them compel me."

"Look, she thought she was protecting you. You need to make up with her." Anna told him. "I have to go. I need to find out just what they're up to. Just be careful."

A few hours later, Anna found herself in the basement of some abandoned house. She wasn't surprised to find out that they were planning to attack during the ceremony. She quickly disappeared, careful not to reveal she was around. She knew she wouldn't be able to face all of them alone.

At the town square, Anna looked around to see if she could find the others. It wasn't long before she found Damon and walked over to him. "Damon."

"What's wrong?"

"The vampires from the tomb are planning an attack tonight." Anna told him.

"Are you sure?" Damon asked.

"I was spying on them." Anna explained. "They want the founding families dead."

"Do you know when they're going to attack?"

"When the fireworks start." Damon looked at her, remembering something.

"John Gilbert wants to use that device on them." He realized.

"Then you two have to get out of here." Anna said, concerned.

"It doesn't work, it's deactivated." Damon told her.

"Well, then a lot of people are going to die." Anna said. "I'm still new at this. I can only take on like three at a time."

"Where are they now?" Damon asked. Anna closed her eyes for a second.

"They're already here." She realized.

"I'll try to stop them. You should warn him, you know." Damon told her. "I know you care about him."

"I promise, I'll be right back." Anna said before fading.

Anna found Jeremy at the Grill. She was in the bathroom waiting for him. "Jeez, you pick the weirdest places to show up."

"I thought this would give us some privacy." Anna told him.

"What's up?"

"The tomb vampires are planning to attack the founding families. It may have already started." Anna explained.

"But that means…"

"You have to get out of here, Jeremy. If they find you, I don't know if I'll be strong enough to protect you." Anna said. Then she felt something was off and looked around.

"What is it?"

"The device. It wasn't deactivated." Anna realized.

"What?"

"Jeremy, I have to go. The Salvatores are in danger." Anna said.

"Will you be okay?"

"Nothing can hurt me, Jer. It's you I'm worried about." She told him. "I have to go now. Just get home safely. I'll meet you when it's over." She disappeared from the Grill.

Anna found herself at an unfamiliar building. "Where am I?" Then she noticed the tomb vampires spread out on the ground and a figure in all black near the staircase. "Damon!" She headed toward him. He looked weak. She put her hand on him and realized that he and the others had been vervained.

"Come on, Damon. Wake up." Anna shook him a little. Eventually, he stirred and looked around the building.

"What are you doing here?" Damon asked her.

"I felt you calling me. I knew something was up." Anna said. "So much for the device not being able to work."

"I've been wrong before." He pointed out. Anna noticed John and some of the deputies pouring gasoline all over the room.

"Uh oh. You have to get out of here, now. Can you move?"

"Barely." Anna tried to help get him up, but the vervain left him so weak, she couldn't hold onto him. It wasn't long before the whole building was on fire. Anna looked around. Most of the vampires were burning fast.

Damon was trying to get up on his own, but one of the beams fell, blocking him. "Damon, come on. We have to get out of here!" Anna yelled over the roar of the flames. It was no use, though. It was getting more intense by the second. Anna closed her eyes and headed to where she knew she'd find someone who could help.

Outside, Anna found herself a few blocks away from the building. "Guys, the building's on fire and Damon's inside."

"What?" Elena asked.

"I was in there. He doesn't have much time." Anna told them.

"We better get going, then." Stefan said. The group headed back toward the building, where they encountered John Gilbert.

"Where is Damon?" Elena demanded.

"With the rest of them where he should be. It's over for Damon." John told them. Anna was grateful he couldn't see her, cause she would've taken him out if Stefan weren't holding her arm.

"You're crazy."

"Why? Because I'm doing what should have been done a hundred and fifty five years ago? This is the right thing Elena." He turned to Stefan, who was looking at the building. "Go ahead, you won't make it out. It'll save me the trouble of killing you myself."

"You monster!" Anna yelled.

"Not now." Elena whispered.

"You now the building well, is there another entrance in?" Stefan asked her.

"The emergency door, it's on the side." Elena told them. Anna ran off with Stefan. Elena tried to follow, but John caught her arm.

"She'll be fine." Stefan told Anna. "I don't think he'd hurt his daughter."

"Did I miss something?" Anna asked.

"Later, we have to go!" They headed toward the emergency door.

Bonnie showed up just as they got there. "Hey, you can't go in there!" She said. Stefan opened the door. "The fire will take you out."

"He's my brother, Bonnie." Stefan pointed out. He ran into the building. Anna stayed outside with Bonnie.

"Bonnie, please. I know you're mad at us because of what happened with the tomb thing, but Damon tried to help me." Anna said. "I know you don't like him, but I can't see another innocent person die. Not after my mother was killed." Bonnie looked at her, she seemed surprised.

"I don't know about you, but I'm helping him." Anna disappeared from her view and found herself back in the burning basement. She met Stefan at the top of the stairs. Suddenly, the fire started disappearing around the area. They realized Bonnie was helping them.

"Stefan!" Anna called up to him as soon as she got to Damon.

"Damon!" He grabbed his brother. "Come on, hurry." Anna held onto them and they sped out of the basement.

"Oh my god!" Elena ran over to them. "Are you two okay?" Anna turned to Bonnie, who was standing on the side of the group.

"Thank you."

"I did it for Elena." Bonnie told her.

"I know." Anna said. She left the area, not wanting to ruin the moment. Elena caught a glimpse of her as she disappeared.

A few minutes later, Anna was in Jeremy's room. She was surprised when Damon showed up. "What are you doing here?" Jeremy asked.

"Just checking in, as usual." Anna told him. "How are you doing?" She asked Damon.

"Fine, I think most of the vervain's cleared out." Damon told her.

"What happened out there?" Jeremy asked. "I left as soon as I could. Ric brought me home."

"Good thing you weren't involved in the chaos." Damon said. "It got a little messy."

"I'm just glad everyone's safe." Anna said.

"You care about him, don't you?"

"We're practically connected." Anna told him. "I was really scared back there, though. You were so weak and I could barely hold on."

"Did I miss something?" Jeremy asked.

"Look, I'll be fine." Damon pointed out. "We recover fast, remember?" He looked at the two of them. "Sorry for the trouble I caused." He wasn't sure who he was addressing.

"It's alright." Jeremy said. "It probably wouldn't have worked out anyway. We were kinda in a fight when you…" Anna looked at them. She knew this one was between them.

"And I'm sorry about this whole tomb vampire mess." She told them.

"It wasn't your fault." Jeremy pointed out. "You didn't know they'd escape, you were just trying to free your mom."

"Yeah, though that Bennett girl hates us now." Damon said.

"Look, my sister and her have been through periods of not speaking before. It never lasts long." Jeremy told them.

"I'll see you around." Damon left the room, leaving Anna with Jeremy.

"I'm just really glad you're okay. I wouldn't be able to stand it if I were responsible for someone getting killed." Anna told him.

"Were you like this when you were alive? I mean…" Jeremy started.

"I've always been a compassionate person." Anna said. "And if I hadn't met you, you probably would've been just another victim."

"You're really amazing, you know that?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Anna said. She leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow." However, she had a feeling she'd see him again sooner than she thought.


	9. Chapter 9

A few hours later, Anna was still up in Jeremy's room. Suddenly, she heard something and went downstairs to find Elena with John. "What's going…" She fell silent when she realized there was another girl in the house. One who she was all too familiar with. She quickly disappeared back upstairs. She heard Elena run upstairs.

"Jeremy!" She entered the room, where Jeremy was sleeping. "Jeremy, please wake up."

"Elena, it's okay. He's just asleep." Anna told her. "Nobody's hurt him." Jeremy woke up and was surprised to see them both in there.

A few minutes later, the paramedics showed up and took John. Stefan showed up and headed upstairs to Jeremy's room. "What happened? Are you guys okay?"

"We think one of the vampires escaped and attacked John." Anna said. "I came because I was worried about Jeremy."

"Look, I'm fine."

"Jer, whoever did this was invited in." Elena pointed out. "They could be dangerous."

"Elena's right, Jeremy." Stefan told him. He sat down next to him. Anna was sitting on the other side of Jeremy. "We need to be careful here and right now, I don't think that having only your ghost friend is going to be enough protection, no offense."

"None taken." Anna said.

"Miss Gilbert?" A voice said.

"I'll be right there." Elena said.

"You need to be at the hospital." Stefan said. "I'll stay with Jeremy."

"What is this, house arrest?"

"Jer, please." Anna said. "We'll keep an eye on him." Elena left the room, wondering how things got so screwed up around her life.

"I hope he'll be okay." Jeremy said. "Even though he did some pretty awful stuff, he's still…"

"I get it, Jeremy. He's still family. My mother could be like that sometimes, too." Anna explained.

"How often have you been visiting him?" Stefan asked.

"I'm not here all the time." Anna told him. "Sometimes, he calls me in his sleep."

"That's weird. That usually doesn't happen unless…"

"Unless what?" Jeremy asked.

"Unless a ghost forms a connection with someone." Anna explained. "But I've only seen you for a couple days before that started happening."

"What does that mean?"

"I have absolutely no idea how any of this ghost stuff works half the time." Anna said.

A few hours later, Jeremy was asleep. They were both watching him when Stefan heard the door open. He headed downstairs. Anna stayed upstairs until she heard a crash. She instantly appeared in the living room, where she saw Stefan fighting…

"Katherine." Anna said. She was so angry at her for everything she did in the past. Imprisoning her mother, playing the Salvatore brothers and practically the whole town for that matter. Stefan threw her into the wall. The front door opened, so Katherine caught his arm and threw him to the floor before leaving. Anna wondered if she had seen her. Damon and Elena came into the house then.

"Stefan?" Elena went over to his side. "What happened?"

"Katherine happened." Damon told them.

"I'm going to get Jeremy." Anna said.

"I'm coming with you." Elena said. The girls hurried upstairs.

"Jeremy," Anna called.

"Anna, Lena, what's going on?" Jeremy asked.

"You know how I said there were ways the past could haunt us?" Anna asked. "Well, I think mine, and the guys', already are."

A few minutes later, she was back in the kitchen. She walked in to find the guys talking. "Hey, everything okay?" Stefan asked.

"Yeah, though they're still in shock." Anna told them.

"Understandable, considering those two are practically identical." Damon said.

"Watch it, don't think I don't know what happened out there." Anna said.

"What happened?" Stefan asked.

"Well…" Anna began. Elena came in at that moment.

"I told Jeremy. I can't lie to him anymore."

"Are you alright?" Stefan asked.

"No, I'm not alright. I thought that with all the tomb vampires gone things were getting better." Elena said.

"I know, we all did." Stefan pointed out.

"Guess our pasts have more than one way of haunting us." Anna said. "Just when we thought she was gone...she comes back. Why now, of all times?"

"Katherine was in this house, that means she's been invited in." Elena realized. "What are we gonna do?"

"Move." Everyone glared at Damon.

"Very helpful, thank you." Elena said.

"Katherine wants you dead, there's zero you can do about it; you will be dead but you're not." Damon pointed out. "So clearly she has other plans."

"Right, and we need to find out what those other plans are and not provoke her in the process." Stefan said. Anna nodded. She knew what Katherine was like when she was angry. "What happened tonight when you thought she was Elena?"

"To risk another front line encroaching on your very crowded forehead," Damon told them. "We ... kissed."

"And you thought it was me?" Elena asked.

"What do you mean you kissed?" Stefan asked.

"To be fair, I wasn't trying to spy on you, I was leaving Jeremy's room through the window when I saw it happen." Anna explained. Before she could say anything else, Stefan rushed over to him.

"Don't be obvious, Stefan." The girls put themselves between them, Anna used her powers to throw them apart slightly.

"Stefan wait, he kissed Katherine, not me." Elena said. She turned to Damon. "I wouldn't do that. We don't have time for this guys."

"Seriously, if we're going to face Katherine, the four of us have to work together." Anna said. "And we might want to get Bonnie on our side, too."

"John must know something. There has to be a reason why Katherine tried to kill him." Elena said.

"She's Katherine. She loves to play games and you're fooling yourself if you think you're going to find out what she's been up to before she wants you to know." Damon said.

"No, actually Elena's right, John could know something through Isobel." Stefan said. "Your mother, she was in touch with Katherine so maybe we can go to the hospital and talk."

"I hate to say it, but I'm actually with Damon on this one." Anna told them. "That girl is manipulative and smart, a deadly combination."

"I've got a better idea." Damon said.

"What's that?" Elena asked.

"I'm just gonna ignore the bitch. See you." He turned to leave.

"Is that smart?" Elena asked.

"If Katherine thinks she's being ignored it will lure her out, she'll make a move." Damon told them.

"Okay, now we're not on the same page."

"Well, what are you gonna do, ghost girl?"

"Don't call me that." Anna growled. "I'm going to try and stay out of her sight and wait for an opportunity to attack."

"Yeah? And then what?" Stefan asked.

"Stake her; rip her head off, something poetic. We'll see." Damon said. He left the room.

"I think I'll be staying with you guys for a while. I don't like the idea of leaving you two alone with Katherine around." Anna told Elena.

"We'll go talk with John." Elena said. "Just make sure Jeremy stays safe." Anna nodded.

The following day, she was at the Lockwood's for the funeral. She was surprised how many people were there. "Hey, I'm surprised you're here." Damon told her.

"Well, I feel kinda responsible. After all, it was partly my fault the tomb was opened." Anna pointed out. "I hate it when an innocent person dies."

"I spoke with Bonnie. Apparently, the device effected the mayor and his son, Tyler Lockwood."

"But they weren't vampires."

"I know, that's the weird part."

"Maybe I'll ask if she knows about this." Anna said. She left and found Bonnie in another room. She was on the phone.

"Elena? Where are you?"

"Bonnie, I know I'm late." Elena said on the other end. "I'm getting in the car now. I'll be there in five." Bonnie seemed to be in shock.

"Bonnie, what…" Anna began. Then she froze in shock. Bonnie turned around and saw Katherine standing behind her.

"We haven't officially met. I'm Katherine."

"I know who you are." Bonnie said.

"Of course you do. You're the best friend right?" Katherine said. "I've been putting all the pieces of Elena's life together. Isobel told me it was a bit of a puzzle. I do know who Jenna and Jeremy are and I met that delicious ex-boyfriend Matt, who was sweet on Caroline, and then there's you, the vampire-hating Bennett witch. Did I do good?"

"Leave her alone, Katherine." Anna said.

"Well, well. If it isn't little Annabelle." Katherine said. "Tell me, did they hide your body or are you just living at the Gilberts' for the heck of it?"

"So you can see me." Anna said. "And you're going to be sorry if you hurt any of these people." Bonnie tried to use a spell on her, but it didn't work. The next thing she knew, Bonnie was up against the wall with Katherine holding her.

"Bonnie, looks like we could use some back up here." Anna said. Bonnie got what she meant and used her powers to open the door, exposing them to everyone.

"Nice." Katherine said. Stefan noticed them.

"Katherine."

"Stefan."

"Leave her alone."

"Okay." Katherine left the room. Bonnie and Anna looked at Stefan.

"You better deal with her. She's gotten a lot trickier since the last time we met." Anna said. Stefan left to deal with Katherine.

"Oh, my God. Are you okay?"

"That was so scary. It was like they were identical." Bonnie said.

"I know." Anna said. "We better find the real Elena before this all gets blown out of control."

"Anna, wait." Bonnie said.

"I'll be right by your side the whole time. I promise, I won't let Katherine near you while we're here." Anna said.

"Thanks." They headed out into the hallway. Anna found Elena talking with Damon. He left and they went over to her.

"Elena!" Bonnie said.

"Bonnie, what happened?"

"Your vampire doppelganger happened." Anna explained.

"Oh, my God. Are you okay?"

"She really scared me." Bonnie said.

"I'm going to let you guys talk it out." Anna said. She disappeared.

"What did she do?"

"She tried to attack me. If Stefan hadn't arrived, I don't know what I would've…" Bonnie couldn't finish her sentence. She held back a sob.

"Bonnie, everything's going to be okay." Elena told her.

"I know, it's just…" Bonnie took a breath to try and calm down. "I saw her last night, Elena."

"Who?"

"Grams. I saw my Grams." She explained. "I felt like a failure after everything that happened on my way back from the hospital. Suddenly, she showed up. She told me she was proud of me. I was surprised, since one of the bad ones got away, but she explained that he wasn't our enemy anymore." She looked at Elena. "What happened when I was gone?"

"It's a long story." Elena said. "Come on, I'll explain while we try to find the guys."

Anna went into the hallway and saw Jeremy leave a room. "Hey. How are you?"

"I'm still in shock over a lot of this, but fine." Jeremy said. "I just spoke with Tyler." Anna gave him a confused look. "He's the mayor's son and someone I go to school with."

"Yeah, I think I heard of him." Anna said. "How's he doing with all this?"

"How would anyone?" Jeremy asked. She remembered that he lost his parents, too.

"I'm sorry." Anna said. "If I knew them, maybe I'd be able to find them."

"Speaking of finding things, any luck with Pearl?"

"No, but I've been too focused on the Katherine problem right now." Anna said. She felt someone calling her. "I have to go. See you."

She found herself outside. Elena was sitting on a bench with an injured Stefan. "Oh, God. What happened?"

"Katherine again." Elena explained as she cleaned the wound. "It must've been. He was like this when I found him."

"Good thing you guys heal fast. What were you thinking?"

"I was trying to figure her out. I was playing along and let her get to me." Stefan said. Just then, Damon showed up.

"I tried to track her but she's gone." He told them. "Ouch, cover up Fabio. You have a crazy ex on the loose." He turned to Elena. "You better watch out, looks like Katherine is trying to _steal your guy_."

"It's not what's happening"

"Isn't it? I mean it's only fair since I went after your girl."

"Okay, so not getting involved." Anna said, disappearing.

"I'm gonna go check on Jenna and Jeremy. Let me know when you guys are done." Elena told them. She left them standing there.

That night, Anna was trying to track Katherine down without being seen. Suddenly, she felt Jeremy calling her. She was at the Gilbert house in an instant. "Jeremy?" She called. She heard Elena and went into her room. She was holding Jeremy in her arms and crying.

"Elena, what happened?" Anna asked.

"Damon killed him." Elena said.

"What?!" Anna looked at him. "But I heard him call like a second ago." Elena looked down and noticed something. "What is it?"

"The ring. He's wearing John's ring." Elena said. "He's going to be okay."

Anna looked at the ring on is hand, not sure if she could believe her or not. Still, she decided to stay around in case he did wake up. A few minutes later, Stefan showed up. "I heard about what happened. Are you two okay?"

"I'm fine." Anna said. "Just a little surprised, that's all." She couldn't believe Damon tried to kill Elena's brother.

"I can't believe he killed him." Elena said. Stefan sat next to her. Anna was sitting across from them.

"He saw the ring that's why he did it, he knew." Stefan told her.

"He didn't see the ring."

"It's Katherine. She got on his skin, she undid everything that was good about him."

"There's nothing good about him. Stefan, not anymore." Elena told him. "He just decided what he wants. He just don't want to feel, he wants to be hated, it's just easier that way. He got his wish. I hate him, Stefan."

"I know." He said. He kissed her shoulder.

"I've already hated him." Anna said. "No offense, but even when he was human, I didn't like him very much."

"Hard to believe he was even human once, considering what he did." Elena said. She heard a gasp and looked. Jeremy woke up. "Stefan, is he okay?"

"He's okay."

"He _killed_ me!" Jeremy was in shock. "_Damon_ killed me!"

"Oh god" Elena wrapped her arms around him.

"Thank goodness you're okay." Anna said. "Sorry I didn't get here earlier."

"Hey, you're here now. It's fine." Jeremy told her.

"Okay, yeah, this is awkward. I should go now." Anna said. "I'll check in with you tomorrow, make sure you're still okay." She faded, wanting to give them time alone.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day, Anna showed up at the school. Stefan had asked her to come and help explain things to Jeremy. They were in the hallway. He handed him a twig. "It's the same as the bracelet Elena gave you." Stefan told him.

"It protects me from compulsion." Jeremy said, seeing if he was getting it straight. Anna nodded.

"Vervain is toxic to vampires." Stefan explained.

"Like poison?" Jeremy asked.

"It can burn their skin." Anna told him.

"Yeah, it's very poisonous. It keeps them out of your head."

"But why vervain?" Jeremy asked them.

"Don't know, certain natural herbs and roots and other elements are just harmful to vampires."

"And spirits." Anna pointed out. "There are certain ones that will prevent ones like me from entering. It depends if their essence is good or bad, though."

"You're pretty confident in yourself telling me all the different ways I could kill you." Jeremy told Stefan.

"Jeremy, if I thought you wanted to kill me we will be having a much different conversation." Stefan pointed out.

"Yeah, Damon is the one that deserves it." Anna looked at him in shock.

"Haven't you ever heard of don't harm another with evil purposes?" Anna told him. "Cause they all say it'll return back at you times three."

"I want you to forget about Damon, all right? He's hundred times stronger than you and right now he's not stable." Stefan added. "You got to try to move forward."

"I was killed by a vampire and brought back by a magic ring. How do you move forward from that?" Jeremy asked.

"Right. Well, today we have a nice little distraction encouraged by the slave driver Elena." Stefan said. As though on cue, Elena walked over to them. "Hello Elena."

"Hey, do you…" Elena began.

"Yeah, yeah, I set up the golden fish toss all through hundred golden fish." Jeremy told her. "It's gonna be epic!" He left the three of them standing there.

"He's gonna be alright, he's just been through a little bit of a whole deal." Stefan told her.

"Hey, anyone would be like that if they were in his position." Anna pointed out. "At least he didn't see his body lying there."

"I was just hoping that this carnival would wild him back into the land of a high school teenager." Elena said.

"That was what we were doing here?" Stefan asked.

"Yes, we all are." Elena told him. "We're gonna be boring high school students who live in a world where the "v" word is not ordered."

"Got it!"

"I'll take that as my cue to leave." Anna said. "See you around." She disappeared from view.

"I'll still never get used to that." Elena said once she was gone.

"Well, we're all still new at kinda having a friend like her." Stefan pointed out. "It's not every day you meet…" He stopped, trying to find a way to phrase it.

"Someone as spiritual as her?" Elena asked.

"Yeah."

At the fair, Anna was hanging out with Jeremy. "You're really good at ring toss."

"It's a gift." Jeremy said. "What's wrong?" Anna looked away from him. Damon was standing behind them.

"Jeremy, it's so good to see you alive." He told him.

"Aren't you a little old for a high school carnival?" Jeremy asked.

"A hundred and fifty years too old."

"You're pretty funny cracking jokes when I could I don't know...led the hold of this thing telling by telling someone what you really are." Damon grabbed Jeremy's arm. Not liking where this was headed, Anna followed them.

"So please tell that was not a threat."

"Maybe it is."

"Jeremy, don't. You don't want to rise to his level on this." Anna said. Damon got him from behind.

"This is what we're not gonna do: we're not gonna walk around like we are invincible when it's this easy for me to end you." He let go of him. Anna rushed to his side. "If you want to tell people what I really am go ahead and try." He held up Jeremy's ring. "I will shove this ring so far up your ass that you'll really have something to choke on."

"If you so much as touch him again, Damon, I swear, I will take you down." Anna said.

"Big talk for such a little one."

"Don't underestimate me. I've learned a few things on the other side, like how to manage my powers." He threw the ring at Jeremy and walked off.

"You okay?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, what is his problem?" Jeremy said.

"Don't ask me. I have no idea." That was a lie. She had a feeling that Katherine was getting to him. "Look, maybe you shouldn't go near him. He's really unstable, Jeremy."

"Yeah, I get it." Jeremy said. Anna headed outside. She ran into the guys soon enough.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"Damon thinks that the Lockwoods are some kind of supernatural force." Stefan told her.

"Because Tyler passed out on Founder's Day?" Anna asked. Stefan looked at her. "Damon told me. So, what's up?"

"Well, we know they're not vampires." Damon said. "So what the hell are they?"

"Maybe they're ninja turtles." Stefan said. Anna started laughing.

"Dude, not funny." Damon said.

"Or zombies, or werewolves."

"Okay, zombies don't exist." Anna told them. "Vampires are the only form of the walking dead."

"And there's no such thing as werewolves." Damon added.

"Well, that I'm not so sure of." Anna said. "I don't know if the exist, but I do know I've seen some major animal damage around here before. It's not always vampires, though. I don't know what it is, though."

"Do you think it's something we should be worried about?" Stefan asked.

"I'm not sure, but it wouldn't hurt to check things out, you know." Anna told him.

She decided to check on Jeremy, when she felt something was off. The next thing she knew, she was in the school hallway. She saw a blonde girl push Damon to the ground. "You suck." She told him. She walked away from him.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked.

"Just surprised."

"Who was she?"

"Caroline. One of Elena's formerly human friends. Apparently, Katherine turned her."

"Oh, that bitch. Now she's turning people to mess with us?" Anna said.

"Later, we need to let Elena know what's happening." Damon told her. They found her outside.

"Elena."

"What do you want, Damon?" She asked.

"I know I'm the last person you want to see right now, but I need you to come with me." He told her.

"Whatever it is, I'm not interested." Elena said. She was still mad at him about killing Jeremy.

"It's Caroline." Anna told her. She turned to Damon. "That is the girl's name, right?" He nodded. Elena looked at them, then followed them inside.

In the classroom, the group met up. Anna had just brought Stefan in. "Sorry about this."

"It's okay. So what's with Caroline?"

"She's a vampire." Damon told them.

"What?"

"It's true. I saw her fling him down a hallway single-handed." Anna said.

"How did this happen?" Elena asked.

"Well, I fed her blood and Katherine obviously killed her and A plus B equals..." Damon pointed out.

"But why?"

"Because Katherine is a manipulative nasty little slut." He said.

"You can say that again." Anna said. "I've knew she was trouble the moment I wanted to leave town in 1864 and she insisted on staying."

"And she said "game on"? What is that even mean?" Stefan asked.

"It means she's playing dirty, she wants us to know." Damon said.

"She hasn't changed a bit, has she?" Anna asked.

"But why Caroline?" Elena said.

"I don't know." Damon told her.

"I hate to say it, but I don't see what the big deal is over this girl apart from Katherine turning her and probably will be using her." Anna told them.

"She's a friend of mine." Elena explained. "I've known her my whole life. We used to be on the cheerleading squad together and while she can seem annoying, she's a good friend deep down."

"We better find her before Damon ends her." Stefan told them. They turned and noticed that Damon had left while they were talking.

"Damn it, why did I ever befriend that guy?" Anna asked as they started looking around.

"Hey, you're not the only one." Stefan pointed out. "Just be glad you're not related to him."

"I think he's outside." Anna told them. "I could be wrong, but I'm going to go check. You guys meet me out there."

She found Damon outside, standing near the girl. "Please don't! I don't want to die!" She heard Caroline saying.

"Yeah but you are already dead." He pointed out. Anna knew she'd have to intervene soon.

"No! I'm not. Don't say that okay?" Caroline yelled at him. "Just help me!" Anna felt bad for her. She was still in denial over her transformation. Then again, the same thing happened when she first realized she was a ghost. He held her. Anna rushed over and knocked the stake out of his and as Stefan got in between him and the girl.

She nodded to him, thankful for his help. "Stefan!" Damon growled.

Elena was standing near Caroline. "Get away from me! You killed me!"

"That's not Katherine." Anna said, then she remembered Caroline didn't know her, nor did she have any psychic abilities or trinkets, so she couldn't see her.

"No, no, no, no Caroline! That wasn't me. You know that! That was Katherine." Elena explained to her.

"No! Then why did she look like you?! And why, why did she do this to me?" Caroline asked.

"Stefan, we've got to get her inside." Elena said.

"Yeah, we don't need everyone to see her having a nervous break down." Anna added.

"It's okay Caroline, come with me." Stefan started dragging her away from the area.

"She'll die, it's only a matter of time." Damon told them.

"Yeah, but it's not gonna happen tonight." Stefan said. Anna was so angry with Damon, she didn't even realize it was giving her a power boost. As he rushed to stake Caroline, Elena put herself between them, and Anna used her powers to throw him back, hard.

Everyone, well, the ones who could see Anna, looked at her. She shrugged. "She's your friend, right?" Anna told her.

"Thanks." Elena said.

"What just happened?" Caroline asked.

"I'll explain inside, come on." Stefan told her. Anna followed them.

A few minutes later, Caroline had calmed down. "Why did Katherine do this to me?" She asked Stefan.

"I don't know, I wish I did." He told her. "Hey, hey, I promise you I will not let anything happen to you. Come here." He held her for a few seconds.

"How did you guys stop him from killing me? It was like he just fell over."

"You don't believe in ghosts, do you?" Stefan asked. Caroline looked at him.

"Are you kidding me?" Anna knew she couldn't see her, but had an idea. She wrote on the mirror.

"No, I'm not." Caroline turned around and saw the writing. It read:

I'm here to help. You have no reason to be scared of me.

"Okay, what's going on here?"

"Relax." Stefan told her. "Anna's a friend of ours. She's helped us out a few times."

"How come I can't see her?" Caroline asked.

"Maybe it's because you've never met her." He explained. "Most ghosts can only be seen if they have a connection to the person or if a person has the ability to see them."

"So you knew her or something." Caroline said. "Wow, and I thought that séance we had that time was weird, but I didn't know ghosts were real then."

Outside, Anna met back up with the others. "I can't believe this is happening." Bonnie said.

"Hey, nobody expected this, okay?" Anna pointed out. Suddenly, she used her powers on Damon. "What are you doing?"

"I told you this would happen if anyone else got hurt." Bonnie told him.

"Bonnie, it wasn't his fault!" Elena told her.

"She's beyond reasoning right now, Elena." Anna said.

"Everything that happens is his fault." Bonnie said. She sent a fire toward him.

"Oh, no." Anna said. "Snap her out of the trance. I'll try to stop the flames!" She went over to his side, using her powers to put a barrier between them and the fire. Elena grabbed Bonnie's arm.

"Why did you stop me?!" Bonnie asked as the fire went out.

"Because this isn't us. Bonnie, this can't be us." Elena pointed out.

"Are you okay?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, I might wake up with a headache tomorrow, though." He told her. The girls left.

Anna felt Jeremy calling her and found him in front of the Boarding House. "What the heck are you doing here?" Anna asked.

"I was planning to kill Damon."

"Are you insane? This is wrong, Jeremy." Anna said. "I used to be a vampire too, you know. I know what it's like to make a mistake like that. Think about this before you do something you'll regret."

She went inside only to find Damon. "Hi. How are you doing?" Anna asked.

"Fine." Damon said. "Why did you try to save me?"

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I respect you in a way." Anna said. "That, and I hate seeing an innocent person die. I know you didn't turn Elena's friend."

"This have anything to do with the fact your dead?"

"I'm not about to tell." Anna told him. She watched as he poured a drink. Jeremy entered the room then, surprising her for a change.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Damon asked him.

"You don't lock your front door." Jeremy pointed out.

"Yeah." He lifted his glass.

"No I wouldn't...I laced it with vervain."

"You did what?" Anna asked.

"Why would you do that?" Damon asked. Jeremy was holding a stake.

"So I could stake you… with this." Jeremy said, throwing the stake to the floor.

"You came here to kill me?"

"It's only fair, you killed me first."

"Are you insane?" Anna told him.

"My father hated vampires, my uncle too." Jeremy pointed out. "They were absolute they knew exactly what they stood for and I figured maybe I should too. I mean, stand for something but killing you, what's that gonna do?" Anna looked relieved.

"Well, it's a good thing there's one person around here who's not willing to kill him." Anna said.

"Look, I don't do the big brother thing very well." Damon said. "Sorry, I don't have any milk and cookie stuff for you."

"Dick." Anna suppressed a laugh as he turned to leave.

"Wait." Damon said. "My father hated vampires too."

"He did?"

"Oh, yeah. He was part of the team that trapped my mother in the tomb." Anna said.

"For the same reasons your dad did." Damon continued. "Only it was 1864, people knew how to whittle." He looked at the stake. "Did you do this?"

"Yeah I tried, it's harder than it looks."

"Good thing you're not one of them." Anna said. "Otherwise I'd probably hurt you."

"I've never believed in family legacy anyway." Jeremy told her. He left the house.

"You know, I always meant to ask about the front door." Anna said. "Never had the time."

"Not like it does any good when other vampires and who knows what else will just break in anyway." Damon pointed out. "I mean, a locked door can't keep you out."

"Point taken, but I'm technically not really here. Not everyone can see ghosts, Damon." Anna said.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Damon asked her.

"I want to be able to find my mother, but I've also got a score to settle with that bitch Katherine." Anna said. "No matter what it takes, if it means getting her out of our town, I'm in."


	11. Chapter 11

After coming up with nothing on the other side for the last few days, Anna showed up at the Boarding House for the group meeting that Elena told her about. She and Jeremy called her the other night to let her know they were just as lost as she was.

"Hey, guys. I hope I'm not late." Anna said.

"No, you're good." Elena said. "Alaric still isn't here yet."

"Isn't he that hunter that helped you when those idiots kidnapped Stefan?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, that's him." Damon said as the bell rang.

"Thanks for coming, Rick." Stefan said as he entered the living room. Anna stood behind Elena.

"Elena mentioned you needed my help." Alaric said.

"Yeah, we were hoping you could help sheet some light on the Lockwood family." Stefan told him. The others briefly looked to Anna.

"Don't look at me. All I knew was that they were part of the council and to avoid them." She said.

"Now, why would I know anything about the Lockwoods?" Alaric pointed out.

"Why you wouldn't. But your dead not dead vampire wife might." Damon explained.

"Isobel's research from when you guys were at Duke together." Elena said.

"You said that she has spent years researching this town." Stefan said.

"Who's Isobel?" Anna asked.

"She's Elena's birth mother." Damon told her. "I made the mistake of turning her." Alaric looked at him.

"Who are you talking to?"

"He can't see Anna, remember?" Elena pointed out.

"Anyway, Isobel's research here in Mystic Falls rounded in folklores and legends but at the time I thought much of which was fiction." He told them.

"Like that amazing vampire story."

"Aside from vampires, what else?" Elena asked.

"The lycanthrope." Anna felt a chill go up her spine.

"Wait, like werewolves?" Elena asked.

"No way, impossible, way too launchy."

"Is it?" Stefan challenged.

"It could be possible." Anna said. "I've never seen one, but it would make a lot of sense."

"I've been on this planet one hundred and sixty some on years, never came across one. If werewolves exist, where the hell are they?" Damon asked.

"Why do you suspect the Lockwood's?" Alaric asked them.

"Because vervain didn't affect the mayor at founder's day but the Gilbert device did and it affected his son Tyler." Damon pointed out.

"And at the school carnival his uncle Mason exhibited inhuman behavior when he fell into the carnival's worker It suggest it's some sort of a supernatural entity." Stefan added.

"We were hoping that Isobel's research could help us figure it out what it is." Elena told them.

"Well, all her things are still at Duke. I mean her office is still there, she's technically still missing." Alaric pointed out.

"So can we get access to it?" Damon asked.

"It's worth a try." Anna said. "I mean, I'm not sure if this werewolf theory is true or not, but it wouldn't hurt to find out."

At the Grill, Anna was surprised she was called there. She was going to help the group with the research, but knew she had to talk to Bonnie about some things first. When she got there, she was with Stefan.

"That doesn't mean I can use the spell." Bonnie said.

"Bonnie, you know how to drop vampires with a single look, okay? I think you can figure it out." Stefan told her.

"What's going on?" Anna asked. Though she knew the answer.

"Caroline killed someone, Stefan. I can't make it easier for her to do it again." Bonnie told him.

"No, we're not making it easier for her, we're just giving her the chance to survive." Stefan explained. "Listen, every day that she's cut off from her old life: from you, from Elena, from Matt, it'll make It that much harder for her to hold on to her humanity."

"And how do you know she won't hurt anyone else?" Bonnie asked.

"I don't but if we don't do everything we can to help her or at least trust the fact that she can keep it together, we must just stake her right now."

"Look, I know you don't like me right now." Anna said. "I wouldn't blame you if you hated me, but I know how hard it is. If it weren't for my mother, I probably wouldn't have survived the transition. And if Emily's taught me anything, it's that we can trust people like you."

"I don't know if I can trust her, though, Anna." Bonnie said. "not with this."

"Then trust me." Stefan told her.

"I have to go now. But tell Caroline to hang in there." Anna said.

She found herself at a huge building, inside a hallway. "Where am I?" She asked.

"Duke University." Damon told her. "I was wondering when you'd show up." The group entered an office. There was a girl sitting there.

"Excuse me, hi. I'm Alaric Saltzman, I called earlier."

"Yes, of course." The woman said. "I'm Vanessa Monroe, research assistant compare to folklore." She noticed Elena. Anna noticed her surprised expression._"_Uh, let me just grab Isobel's keys." She got the keys to the office.

"These are my friends Elena and Damon. I hope this isn't too much of an imposition." Alaric said.

"Oh please, Isobel's office is right through there." Vanessa said. She lead the way to another room. "Isobel's was one of my first professors. I'm a grad student, she was brilliant and one of the reasons I went to folklore. Uh I have to ask, has it been any news?"

"No, I'm afraid not." Alaric told her.

"It's this way." She opened the door and they all went into the room. Anna could hear suspicion in her voice. _"_I'll grab the light, feel free to look around. It's fascinating isn't it?" She left the room while everyone else was looking around. Anna noticed this.

"There's something up with that research assistant." Anna told Damon. He noticed Vanessa was missing.

"Where did she go?" Damon asked. That got the others attention. Vanessa came back into the room holding a crossbow.

"Elena!" Anna yelled. Elena turned just as Vanessa fired it at her, so Damon and Anna got in the way. She tried to use her powers, but it was too late as Damon got hit in the back. Alaric grabbed Vanessa and shoved her against a wall.

"I'm so sorry." Anna said.

"Don't apologize, just help me." Anna tried to touch the arrow, but it went through her hand.

"Damn it! I can't touch it. Elena, I need you to help him."

Elena was trying to remove the arrow without hurting him. "I can't reach it, Elena. Just pull the damn thing out. It hurts." Damon said.

"Keep complaining and I will make it hurt." Anna told him as Elena removed the arrow from his back.

_"_That bitch is dead."

"You're not gonna kill her." Elena said.

"I don't know, Elena. That woman seems kind of suspicious to me." Anna said.

"We need her help, though. She's the only one with the access to Isobel's research." Elena pointed out. "Either of you touch her and I swear I will never speak to you again."

"What makes you think that has any power over me?" Damon asked. "Because I took an arrow in the back for you? You're so overestimating yourself."

"Right. I forgot that I was speaking to a psychotic mind who snaps and kills people impulsively. Fine, go ahead, do whatever you want."

"I take it she's still mad about the Jeremy thing." Anna said.

"You think?" Damon asked. "She's just trying to manipulate me."

"If by "manipulate" you mean "tell the truth" okay, guilty." Elena said. He forgot that she was still in the room.

They headed back to where Alaric was with Vanessa. "Please! I freaked out okay?" Vanessa told him. She seemed scared. "Alright, you would have done the same thing, it's not possible! Katherine Pierce can't be alive and Damon Salvatore died in 1864. Okay, I read Isobel's research."

"Well, you should know just how possible this is." Alaric pointed out.

"No kidding." Anna said. Then she remembered they couldn't hear her and cursed to herself. Elena and Damon walked in then.

_"_I'm Elena Gilbert, Isobel's daughter and a descendant of Katherine Pierce. And this is Damon Salvatore who you just shot."

"I'd be extra nice to me right now." Damon said. Anna used her powers to throw him to the ground. Vanessa looked surprised.

"Let me guess, Anna again?" Alaric asked.

"Yeah." Elena said. "She's sort of a friend of ours." She told Vanessa. "Look, we need your help okay? We need to see all of Isobel's research, anything related to Mystic Falls."

"Just do me a favor and make sure she doesn't try to contact me through any weird means, okay?" Anna said.

"Don't worry, that's not going to happen." Elena said.

A few minutes later, the group was looking through Isobel's research. Elena was going through a box of things. She found another portrait of Katherine. "It is so eerie how you two look alike." Anna said. Elena nodded.

"Any luck?" Damon called to the group.

"There's nothing in here about Katherine that we don't already know." Elena said.

"Ah, you know, it's a bummer we're not friends anymore because I could tell you what I know." He said.

"Now who's manipulating who?" Elena said.

"Damon, stop being a jerk." Anna said.

"Hey guys, check this out." Alaric called. The group headed over to where he and Vanessa were.

"There's no record of werewolf mythology in Mystic Falls but here are some records of some the lesser known legends. Everything from Scandinavian skin walkers to Aztecs legends." She showed them the book she was holding. _"_It's translated into the "curse of the sun and the moon"

"It's Native American." Alaric told them.

"Aztecs. It explains one origin of the werewolf curse traced through Virginia." Vanessa explained. "The short story: 600 years ago, the Aztecs were played by werewolves and vampires. They terrorized the countryside, made farming and hunting impossible until an Aztec shaman cursed them, making vampires slaves to the sun and werewolves servants of the moon. As a result, vampires could only prowl at night and werewolves could only turn on a full moon. When the full moon is crossing the sky, who's ever unlucky enough to fall into the werewolves curse turns into a wolf."

"Can they control the transformation?" Damon asked.

"If it were a choice, it wouldn't be called a curse."

"No kidding." Anna said.

"Werewolves will attack humans but instinct and centuries of rivalry have hardware them to hunt their prey's choice: vampires." Vanessa said.

"Well, if werewolves were hunting vampires, I would know about it." Damon said.

"Says the guy who didn't believe that they didn't even exist until an hour ago." Anna pointed out.

"Not if they aren't many werewolves left alive. Hundreds of years ago vampires hunted them almost to extinction." Vanessa told them.

"Why would they do that?" Elena asked.

"To protect themselves. According to the legend, a werewolf bite is fatal to the vampires." Vanessa said. The group looked to each other.

"Didn't you say they'd be in the woods?" Anna asked.

"Yeah, he's trying to help her." Elena said. "I'll warn them."

"I'll try to see if I can help." Anna said.

In the woods, Stefan had just got off the phone with Elena and was looking for Caroline, who had left and forgotten her phone. "Stefan." He turned around and saw Anna.

"What are you doing here?"

"I know about the wolf bite being fatal. Wait, where's your blonde friend?" Anna asked.

"I don't know."

"We better hurry and find her." Anna said. "If what that lady said is true…"

"I really don't want to think about that, Anna." Stefan told her as they ran into the woods to look for Caroline. Anna fell a little further behind. Eventually, they found Caroline with another guy, who she'd accidentally bitten.

"I turn away to help the others, and this is what happens?"

"Hey, hey, we were all new at one point." Stefan pointed out. "Even I still don't have it fully under control."

"Oh, right. I forgot about the beauty pageant incident."

"Oh my God." Caroline said as she looked at the guy. She went over to help him.

"No, no, stop. Listen to me. We need to get out of these woods now. We need to leave." Stefan told her. That's when they heard it.

"What was that?" Caroline asked.

"It's a wolf, isn't it?" Anna asked Stefan.

"Matt, stay down. Do not move." He told the guy. The sound of something moving was getting louder and closer.

Stefan turned to Caroline. "You and me we're gonna run. It's going to follow us, we need to get it away from Matt. You need to run as far as you can." He said. He turned to Anna. "Hold on if you can." Anna nodded and he turned back to Caroline. "Do you understand me?" Caroline nodded. "Go. Now!" They ran as fast as they could. Anna had her eyes closed as she held onto Stefan. They stopped all of a sudden.

"Wait! What is it?!" Caroline asked.

"It's a werewolf!" Stefan told her. "He will try to kill us and he can!" Then another guy showed up.

"Hey! What are you two doing?" He asked them.

"What are you doing?" Stefan shot back. Suddenly, a wolf came out of nowhere and jumped on Caroline. It looked around suddenly, as if it were on alert.

"Animals can be perceptive to spirits." Anna explained. Stefan looked at her, wondering if it was true. "I read about it in a book when I was trying to find out about ghosts." It turned back to Caroline.

"No!" The kid said. The wolf turned to look at him. Then it ran off.

"Now that was weird." Anna said. Stefan nodded and went to check on Caroline.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

A few minutes later, the group was doing some damage control. The three of them sat down together, although Caroline couldn't see Anna. "What are we gonna do about Tyler?" Caroline asked.

"I took care of it and I will get Matt on vervain, it'll keep you from being able to compel him and also to keep you from drinking his blood." Stefan told her.

"I can't believe I hurt him." She said.

"I know."

"He is the one person on this entire planet that I never wanted to hurt."

"It's not going to get any easier. You just have to work that much harder."

"It was tough for me, too." Anna said. "It gets a little easier, though."

"I shouldn't be with him, should I?" Caroline asked. "Because if there is any danger…"

"I'm the last person to make that kind of decision for you." Stefan told her. "If I had followed my own advice, I would have walked away from Elena a long time ago."

"Do you ever think you should have?" Caroline asked.

"I know I should have, I just can't." Stefan said. Anna looked at him.

"You really love her, don't you?" She asked. He nodded and walked away. Anna looked over at Caroline. She wrote on a sheet of paper and sent it to her. Caroline read it and got up, leaving the woods. Anna didn't know how long she'd be around, but she did know that she was going to stay long enough to deal with Katherine.


	12. Chapter 12

"I can't believe Tyler Lockwood is a werewolf." Jeremy said. He and Elena were in the bathroom upstairs.

"We're not sure about that yet. Anything we know for sure is that Mason Lockwood is." Elena told him.

"It should be enough easy for us to figure it out."

"There is no us. I said that I wouldn't keep things from you anymore. That doesn't mean that I want you involved in it." Elena pointed out.

"By definition of being in this family, I'm involved." Jeremy pointed out.

"He's sort of got a point." Anna said, startling them.

"What are you doing here?" Jeremy asked.

"I don't know." Anna said.

"This is dangerous, Jeremy. You have to stay out of it, okay?" Elena asked.

"Alright. Just saying." Jeremy said. The girls stepped into the hallway.

"I'm worried he might get hurt or worse." Elena said.

"I can investigate with him." Anna offered. "Believe me, Elena. Nothing will happen to him as long as I'm here to help."

"Thanks." She left to go change clothes. Anna disappeared to give her some privacy.

A few hours later, she appeared at the park. "So, that's the guy who attacked the other night?" Anna asked as she met with Stefan as Mason walked off.

"Yeah. My brother tried to attack him. Didn't end well. I'm hoping to call a truce." Stefan told her. That's when Damon showed up.

"What are you doing?"

"Negotiating peace on your behalf."

"I don't want peace."

"Consider it opposite day." Anna stepped back while they argued.

"Stefan, please tell me you don't seriously think a hand shake just solve our problem." Damon said.

"No actually I think that the first chance Mason Lockwood gets, he's gonna drive a stake through your heart and then through mine because you took upon yourself to try to kill him." Stefan pointed out. "So thank you, because we don't have enough problems." He walked away.

"That really was not your best idea." Anna said. "They can be very vengeful when threatened."

"Sure, now you tell me."

"You're the one who's impulsive and doesn't listen." Anna pointed out. She left to find Elena and Caroline. She hadn't seen any sign of Katherine so far, which as far as she was concerned, was probably a good thing. She still worried for Caroline, though.

She found her over by the wall with Elena. "Well, I was a bitch but it's part of the process." Caroline said. "So, how are things between you and Stefan? Anything?"

"No, not since the fight. He's been pushing me away because he thinks that Katherine might get jealous enough to hurt me." Elena said. "I just don't know how to change his mind."

"You guys are fighting?" Anna asked. Elena nodded.

"You said that Katherine's dangerous. Maybe he's got a point." Caroline pointed out.

"Yeah, I know that she's dangerous and I know that he's just trying to protect me but it feels like giving up and I just…" Elena sighed.

"Just what?"

"I just thought we were stronger than that." Elena told her.

"Katherine is dangerous, but I'm not sure if doing what she says is the best thing to do in this situation." Anna said.

"Would you do the same if you were me?" Elena asked her.

"Who are you talking to?" Caroline asked. Then it hit her. "You see her, too, don't you?"

"Yeah."

While the girls got to work, Anna noticed Elena glance back at him. Finally, she went over to talk to him. Damon came over to Caroline and Anna. "What's her deal?"

"None of your business, Damon." Anna said.

"Do you still care about Katherine?" Elena asked.

"Don't be like this. Please don't turn this into something that it's not."

"So this is not for discussion. That's what you're saying?" They knew the others were listening in.

"No, I'm saying that is enough for discussion right now because we have ears on us." Stefan said. Anna hid behind a bush so they wouldn't see her while the others pretended not to listen.

"Okay, when?" Elena asked.

"I don't know."

"I saw her Stefan. It's like we are the same person. How could you hate her and be in love with me?" Elena asked.

"You're reaching. I'm not… I'm not Damon."

"How about we don't bring Damon into this right now?"

"You know, I can't… I can't do this anymore, Elena"

"Fine, Stefan. Whatever." She left. Caroline went after her.

"You heard everything, didn't you?" Anna asked.

"Yeah." Damon said. "I don't get why she's even threatening her to begin with. It's not like they even know each other." Anna started fading.

"Speaking of being threatened, I think Jeremy's in trouble." Anna said. "I better go help him."

Anna found herself in an office room. She saw Tyler holding Jeremy against the wall. "Jeremy!" Jeremy heard her, but he couldn't do anything about it.

"Answer me. Why wolf pictures?" Tyler asked him.

"Because…Because I know." Jeremy strained against him.

"You know what, Jeremy?"

"I know what you are." Thankfully, Tyler let go of him then. Anna hovered by his side.

"Are you okay?" She asked. He nodded.

"I can explain everything." Jeremy said.

"I'm staying with you." Anna told him. "I don't want to take the chance of leaving you two alone in the same room."

A few minutes later, the guys were sitting down. Anna was sitting in between them, though Tyler couldn't see her. "How do you know about all this?" Tyler asked.

"My uncle John left this old diary lying around. It was written by a crazy Gilbert ancestor who wrote about this curse that runs in your family." Jeremy explained.

"Guess he wasn't so crazy after all, then." Anna said. Jeremy shot her a look and she kept quiet.

"A curse about what?" Tyler asked.

"Werewolves. It's crazy right? But then, Matt was attacked by a wolf under a full moon and your uncle has just gotten back to town. It was too weird." Jeremy explained. "Is it true?"

"About my uncle? Yeah."

"But you… you're not…" Jeremy began.

"A wolf? I'm sorry, a werewolf? No. I mean, not yet." Tyler said. "Man, just saying that out loud, I sound insane."

"I don't think so but then again, I always did believe in the crazy stuff." Jeremy said.

"Yeah, sure." Anna said. "Like how you believed in vampires and ghosts?"

"Let it go, Anna." He whispered.

"According to my uncle, you have to trigger the curse. Somebody has to die on your hands, like a murder or an accident." Tyler explained. "I basically have to cause death and then boom: next full moon I'm howling on all fours."

"Is that why he came back? To tell you all this?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah, right. He had to tell me. I caught him." Tyler told him. "He's not here for me." He took a white rock out of his pocket and showed it to him._ "_He's here for this."

Jeremy felt Anna tense up beside him. "Is that what I think it is?" She asked.

Jeremy looked at the rock. "What is it?"

"It's a moonstone." Tyler explained. "I looked it up online. It's a natural rock but there supposed to have all sorts of supernatural legends attached to them."

"Just like the one I read about." Anna said. Jeremy looked at her. "Later. Although there is one thing that I don't understand. Why didn't he give it to Mason?"

"Why didn't you give it to him?" Jeremy asked Tyler.

"Because he wants it. I'm a dick that way. It's important to him for some reason but I don't trust the guy so I'm not just gonna hand it to him." He explained.

"You shouldn't hand it to him, Tyler." Anna said. "It's a very bad idea."

"He can't hear you." Jeremy pointed out.

"I know, but you can." Anna said. "I have a bad feeling about what'll happen if Mason gets his hands on it." She left the guys sitting there.

"Did you say something?" Tyler asked.

"No." Jeremy said.

At the Boarding House, Anna showed up as Caroline entered carrying an overnight bag. "Hey, sorry that took forever. I just didn't know how long my mom was gonna be here." She told Elena.

"Damon says it'll take 3 days' tops for the vervain to leave her system. Maybe even sooner." Elena said.

"Did I miss something?" Anna asked as Stefan joined the group.

"It's a long story. Elena, why don't you explain it?"

Elena and Caroline went into the hallway, with Anna following. "Mason outed them to Sheriff Forbes." Elena explained. "We spent the whole afternoon looking for them. When we found them, they were badly injured. If it weren't for Caroline's help, they might not have made it."

"So that's why her mom's a prisoner now?"

"She's not a prisoner. We're just keeping her here until they can compel her to forget this mess ever happened." Elena told her.

"So, what's Anna been up to?" Caroline asked.

"I don't know." Elena said. "But I think she was looking out for Jeremy."

"We really could've used her help."

"Hey, even a spirit can't be in two places at once." Elena pointed out.

"Yeah, guess you're right." Caroline felt a wind go past her all of a sudden. "And apparently she agrees."

A few minutes later, Anna found Caroline alone in the living room. She went into the hallway and found Elena. "Hey, Caroline seems upset."

"It's probably about her mom." Elena said. "Did you hear what she said down there?"

"No. But I think this goes past parenting issues, Elena." Anna said. "You should talk to her." They walked into the living room.

"You want me to take you home?" Elena asked.

"I can't go home."

"Why not?"

"Because I'm scared." Caroline said. Elena sat next to her.

"Why are you scared? Caroline, you can talk to me." Elena said. Anna sat on a chair nearby. "I promise, she's not listening." She lied. Anna nodded to her, understanding.

"Katherine's gonna be there and she's gonna want me to tell her everything that happened today. She told me I had to spy on you and report back to her."

So that explained why she'd been on edge this morning, Anna realized. She couldn't believe Katherine was using her like this.

"I know and I've been so mad at you. But then, I tried to put myself in your position so that I could understand why you would do this to me and to Stefan because he's been such a friend to you. Who did she threaten?" Elena asked.

"Matt, she threatened Matt and I'm so scared of her Elena! I am so scared of her." Caroline said, breaking into tears.

"And you should be. Caroline, we all should be."

"Why is she doing this? What does she want?" Caroline asked.

"That's the million dollar question." Elena told her, holding her.

Anna wasn't scared of Katherine anymore, though. She was angry. Turning Caroline was bad enough, but now she had to threaten her friends and use her as her personal spy? All Anna knew was that Katherine better watch her back, because she was going to take her down for good.


	13. Chapter 13

"This is a very, very bad idea, Jer." Anna said as he knocked on the door to the Boarding House.

"Well, someone has to tell them."

"If he finds out, he will try to kill the Lockwood family, don't you get that?" Anna asked.

"Well, they deserve to know." Jeremy pointed out. "Besides, you'd do the same if you were in my position." Damon opened the door. "I need to talk to you."

"And why I need to talk to you?"

"Told you this was a bad idea, Jeremy." Anna said. She pulled on his arm to go, but he remained where he was.

"Tyler Lockwood has to kill someone to activate his curse. He's not a werewolf yet." Jeremy said.

"Whoa, fascinating. Not enough."

"But Mason Lockwood is and he's looking for a moonstone, a special rock related to the werewolves legend. That's why is here." Jeremy added.

"A moonstone?" Damon guessed.

"And I know where it is."

"And you're bringing me this why?"

"Do I need a reason? Look, I just want to help, okay?" Jeremy said.

"Don't mind me." Anna said. "I only showed up to try and stop him."

"What your sister say about this little discovery?" Damon asked Jeremy. He stayed silent.

"Oh, you haven't told her, have you?"

"Well, Elena doesn't want me getting involved in all this." Jeremy told him.

"And that's why I'm here." Anna said. "To make sure he doesn't do anything that'll put him in danger."

"And you're a Gilbert, you just can't help yourself. Whoa, your search for life's purpose is as obvious as it is tragic."

"You're gonna let me in or not?" Jeremy asked. He went inside. Anna reluctantly followed.

A few hours later, the three of them went to the Lockwood's to pretend to help set up for some Masquerade ball they were having. "Rick!" Damon called as they walked over to him.

_"_What are you doing here?" Alaric asked Jeremy.

"Helping Damon. I'm the one who found out about the moonstone." Jeremy said.

"Excuse me?" Anna said. "I helped, I'm the one who connected it to the legend."

"Does Elena know you're here?" Alaric asked.

"Not exactly." Jeremy said.

"What have you got?" Damon asked.

"This is Isobel research's from Duke. Her assistant sent it to me." Alaric said.

"Vanessa, the hottie."

"Who knew that girl would actually come in handy." Anna said.

"Vanessa yes. Do you remember the old Aztecs curse she told us about?" Alaric asked.

"Yeah, Sun and the Moon."

"an Aztec curse? Cool." Jeremy said.

"It's anything but cool, Jer." Anna said.

"Yeah, supposedly vampires and werewolves used to run freely until a shaman put a curse on them, limiting their power." Alaric explained. "Since then, werewolves can only turn on a full moon and vampires are weakened by the sun."

"Most of them anyway." Damon said, pointing out his ring. "Hey, did you…

"Emily gave me a necklace." Anna said. "Though it won't do any good now that I'm really dead."

"According to the legend, the werewolf part of the curse is sealed with a moonstone." Alaric said.

"What do you mean sealed?" Jeremy asked.

"It's a witch thing, whatever seals the curse is usually the key onto unsealing the curse." Damon explained.

"He's right." Anna said. "I believe the moonstone is holding some kind of magic binding that keeps the curse intact." Jeremy nodded, understanding.

"Maybe Mason Lockwood believes he can use the moonstone to break the curse." Alaric said.

"If we start believing in some supernatural witchy mojo legend from a picture book, we're idiots. Where is the stone now?" Damon asked.

"Tyler." Jeremy and Anna said at the same time. Jeremy looked at her.

"Sorry."

"Can you get it?" Damon asked.

"Yeah." Jeremy said at the same time Anna said "No."

"Jer, this could be dangerous."

"Look, Tyler's my friend, okay?" Jeremy said. "He won't hurt me."

"I'm still coming with you."

"You see, now your life has a purpose."

"Stop it, Damon." Anna said. "I thought you don't believe in this stuff."

"So you do believe it?" Jeremy asked, hearing Anna's comment.

"This is the same book that says the werewolf bite kills a vampire. Ignoring it make me an even bigger idiot. Let's go." Damon said.

Elena was working, when she noticed Damon. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Looking for my baby bro. Speaking of… you should tell yours to stop following me around."

"What's going on?" Elena asked.

"I told him this was a bad idea, but he kept insisting it'd be fine." Anna told her. Jeremy came over to the group then.

"Jeremy, what is he making you do?" Elena asked.

"He's not making me do anything, Damon and I…"

"No way, no, no, no, no. There is no "Damon and you". There's Damon and whoever Damon is using, and those people, they end up dead." Elena told him. "Whatever is going on Jeremy, I want you to stay out of it."

"I don't really care what you want, Elena. It's because of you that I'm in this mess in the first place so I'm sorry, you don't really get to tell me what I'm gonna do." He walked away from her.

"Sorry. He's just been really into getting more involved with the supernatural happenings." Anna told her.

"Please, just help him out." Elena told her. "I don't want my brother to end up dead."

"That's why I'm going with him." Anna said. She went to catch up with Jeremy before she lost track of him. As she headed by, she overheard the guys talking. "She's got to be using him. It has to be."

"Using him for what?" Stefan asked. Anna headed over to them.

"What's going on?"

"I think Mason's working with Katherine." Stefan told her.

"What?"

"Apparently the witch had a vision and saw them together." Damon said. "Anyway, Mason's looking for a moonstone that can allegedly break the full moon werewolf curse. Maybe Katherine wants it as well."

"Why?"

"Well… no idea. This is the beauty of Katherine, she's always up to something."

"Sure you aren't just jealous?" Anna asked. He looked at her. "Right. I'll go now." She started to walk away.

"So how are we gonna find this moonstone?"

"Jeremy is gonna get it from Tyler."

"Correction, Jeremy and I are going to get it from Tyler." Anna told them.

"Why would you involve Jeremy?"

"He's playing Indiana Jones, he involved himself."

"There he is." Anna said. "I'll meet you in a few minutes."

She headed over to Jeremy as he was talking to Tyler. "Well, it turns out that it's part of this Aztec legend but I want to make sure it's the same kind of stone. You think I could check it out again?"

"No. I gave it to my uncle." Tyler said.

"Why did you do that?" Jeremy asked.

"Because I'm done with legends and curses. I don't want anything to do with it, okay?" Tyler said.

"Yeah, yeah sure. It's probably…"

"Well, that was a bust." Anna said. Jeremy walked away and she went with him. "So he gave it to Mason? That's not good."

"What's wrong?" Jeremy asked.

"According to the guys, Mason's working with…"

"Katherine? How's that possible?" Elena asked.

"Hey, I only just found out myself." Anna told her. They were over near the masks. "I should go back to the guys. They probably already know about the plan with Jer backfiring, but anyway…"

By the time she found them, Damon was arguing with Bonnie. "Damon, I'm not gonna help you hurt him."

"Mason Lockwood's a werewolf, Katherine's evil." Damon told her. "They're the bad guys. Really? You're gonna play morality police with me right now? Let me explain it to you another way: they're a threat to Elena. You witch, are gonna get over yourself and help us."

"Whoa, time out! What's going on?"

"He wants me to hurt Mason with a spell." Bonnie said.

"Well, I think you should do it." Anna said. "Look, after what he nearly did to them and Care the other day, he's kinda got it coming to him."

"Please tell me you're not taking Damon's side with this." Stefan said.

"No, but we need to take those two down." Anna said. "Do you have any better ideas?"

"Okay, I'll help, but I'm going to need a hand." Bonnie told them.

A few hours later, Anna found herself at the hospital. She wondered why she was there. She had used up a lot of her energy helping the group earlier, though she blanked after what happened with Bonnie. "What am I doing here?" She wondered. Then she saw Elena and Jeremy.

"Is she okay?" Jeremy asked Elena.

"The doctors told Alaric that she got lucky. She's gonna be okay." Elena told him. She sounded shaken.

"Did she remember what happened?"

"No, nothing. It's all part of Katherine's mind compulsion."

"Why would Katherine hurt Aunt Jenna?" Anna looked surprised.

"She what?"

"She compelled Jenna to stab herself." Jeremy whispered, obviously trying not to upset Elena any more than she was.

"Because she's trying to send a message, that she could get to anybody." Elena said.

"Hey, hey, come here." Jeremy held Elena. "It's gonna be okay."

"No it's not." Elena cried into his shoulder.

"She's gonna pay Elena. I don't know how but she's gonna pay." Jeremy said. Anna was shocked. This was a new low, even for Katherine. Threatening to kill a member of someone's family was a new one to her.

"She needs to be stopped before someone else gets hurt." Anna said.

"I know." Jeremy told her. She hadn't realized she'd spoken out loud until then.

"Hey, be careful." Anna told them. "I'll meet you tomorrow, but if she tries anything else, call immediately." With that, she disappeared from view.


	14. Chapter 14

Anna showed up at the Gilberts house a few days later. She saw Jenna resting on the couch. She still couldn't believe what Katherine compelled her to do. Then she headed into the kitchen. "We're not gonna do anything, Jeremy." Elena was saying.

"She tried to kill Jenna. We can't let her get away with that." Jeremy said.

"Yes, we can. If it keeps us safe then we can." Elena told him.

"And what if she tries something else?"

"She won't. Katherine hurt Jenna because I didn't do what she said. I'm not doing it now, me and Stefan are over. She wins, the end."

"So that's it?" Anna asked, startling her. "You're just gonna give up?"

"As long as she's around, it's not like I have much choice." Elena said. Anna looked at her, unable to believe she'd give up so easily.

"You are being naïve and you know it." Jeremy said. He started to leave with Anna.

"Where are you going?"

"Out. I'll be back." Jeremy told her.

Outside, the two of them were finally able to talk alone. "So, what's going on?"

"The Salvatores are planning to take down Katherine." Anna said. "I heard them talking with Caroline earlier. She's threatened to go on a killing spree unless they give up the moonstone."

"We can't let this happen."

"If you want to help, we better get over there, now." Anna told him.

By the time they got to the Boarding House, most of them were already trying to come up with an idea. "Need any help?" Anna asked.

"When did you get here?" Damon asked them.

"That doesn't matter. I heard about what Katherine did." Anna told them.

"And Elena's pretty much given up." Jeremy added.

"So we want in." They entered the living room.

"Okay, so we need to figure out how we're going to get her alone." Stefan said.

"At a public dance." Jeremy said.

"I might be outside the realm of knowledge here, but maybe…" She turned to Jeremy. "Bonnie, right?" He nodded. "Maybe Bonnie could help us figure this out."

"Yeah, Blondie over here tried calling her an hour ago." Damon said.

"Well, try again." Anna said. "Look, a few months ago, I may not have even cared about these people, I might not have even tried to help. But Katherine crossed the line here and this town is my home, too."

A few minutes later, Bonnie showed up. "Hey, come on in." Caroline told her.

"I got Stefan's message." She was carrying the grimoire with her. She noticed everything going on. "What's going on?"

"We're gonna kill Katherine." Jeremy told her. He went into the living room.

"I can explain." Stefan told her.

"Please." Bonnie said.

"We're gonna kill Katherine."

"And hope that her spirit doesn't come back." Anna added. The group went into the living room. Bonnie seemed hesitant to help.

"I really don't know about this, guys."

"What Katherine did to Jenna crossed the line. She has to be stopped before it happens again." Anna said.

"Look, Katherine knows me, right? She knows that I'm not gonna try something in a crowd full of innocent people so that gives me an edge." Stefan explained. "I could get to her by surprise."

"I could do a spell to trap her, like the tomb spell." Bonnie said.

"Right. We can isolate her, away from the others. Please Bonnie."

"Okay."

A few hours later, the group was gathered in the living room. "Are you sure you guys don't want me there tonight?" Alaric asked.

"No, I need you to stay with Elena. I don't want her to know about this." Stefan told him.

"Okay. Well, I'll make sure she doesn't leave my side."

"Alright, if anyone wants to back out, I'll understand." Stefan said.

"Yeah. Cold feats speak now. I don't want this going wrong with someone chicken's out." Damon said. "Caroline?"

"I won't. Look, she killed me." Caroline pointed out. "Fair's fair. As long there's no werewolf running around."

"Oh, I took care of Mason." Damon told them.

"As long as Tyler doesn't kill anyone, he won't turn." Jeremy pointed out.

"Bonnie? Are you with this?" Stefan asked. Everyone waited for her answer.

"But no one gets hurt."

"Except Katherine. Tonight Katherine gets a stake through her heart."

"I won't back off, no matter what." Anna told them. Then she remembered only four of them could hear her.

A few hours later, she, Jeremy, and Bonnie were headed upstairs. They went into an empty room "I thought this room could work." Jeremy told them.

"It's perfect." Bonnie took the grimoire out of her bag.

"Is that the spell book I read about in my family's old journal?" Jeremy asked.

"It's my ancestor, Emily's. The spell I'm doing here is similar to the one that sealed the vampires into the tomb." Bonnie told him, opening it. Then she turned to Anna. "Sorry."

"It's fine. It's thanks to that spell my mother survived all those years." Anna said.

"Can you do all the stuff that's in there?" Jeremy asked, looking at the page.

"I mean it takes practice. I've worked on some small spells. Spells that only do good." Bonnie explained. "I don't want to know too much. I don't particularly enjoy any of this, in case you haven't noticed."

"Yeah but you're 100% witch, that is so cool."

"It's anything but cool. Did your family's journal tell you what happened to Emily? Or what about my grams? It never ends well for people like me." She pointed out.

"If you feel that way, why help?" Jeremy asked.

"Because I don't want anyone else getting hurt and I don't know how to stay out of it." Bonnie admitted.

"You're strong enough to handle this, Bonnie." Anna told her. "From hanging around Emily, I know it's hard, but staying out of it is not a good idea."

"So, how's this going to work?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm going to try and stay out of sight." Anna told them. "Not like that'll be too hard or anything."

"You might want to get out of here. I don't know how this spell respond to ghosts, even if they're good ones." Bonnie said. Anna nodded and headed outside the room.

Half an hour later, she finished helping the guys. Apparently, Katherine had killed someone outside. "That girl has no morals at all." Anna said.

"You're telling me." Damon said.

"Well, I put the body in the trunk for now." Stefan said, returning to the room.

"We'll dump her when we get back."

"This is exactly what I didn't want, Damon."

"Stefan, it's a collateral damage."

"Hey!" Anna yelled. "Haven't you ever heard of 'don't speak ill of the dead'?"

"This is why we need to call it off."

"What? Who's hesitating now?" Damon grabbed his brother. "Hey, don't do this to me. This woman ruined our lives, she destroyed us! Tonight it ends. We can do it together. I got your back. Alright?"

"Alright."

"Okay." Anna said. A few seconds later, she found herself outside. "What happened?"

"Lena found out." Bonnie told her.

"You guys are trying to kill her here?" Elena asked.

"We saw an opportunity and we knew we had to take it." Jeremy told her.

"Okay, stop with the "we", are you guys crazy? You're gonna get yourselves killed."

"Been there, done that." Anna pointed out.

"We know what we are doing, Elena." Bonnie told her.

"And how am I supposed to feel if one of you guys gets hurt because of me?" Elena asked.

"It's not just you anymore, Elena." Jeremy pointed out. "She's messed with all of us, she has to be stopped."

"Especially before someone else gets killed." Anna added.

She disappeared and returned inside. She hid behind a doorway upstairs, knowing Katherine could still find her. She was dragging Caroline with her. "Why do you keep dragging me into this? I don't want any part of it."

"Shut up!" Katherine yelled at the girl. "Which room is it?"

"It's that one." Caroline told her. Katherine entered the room that they'd set up.

"Where is she?" She turned around and saw Caroline outside.

"I did it." Caroline said. "I really didn't think that I'll be able to fool you but I did it." Katherine rushed over to her, but found out she couldn't leave the room.

"What the...?" She didn't turn around, but understood. "Stefan?" He appeared behind her, holding a stake.

"Hello Katherine."

"Goodbye Katherine." Caroline turned around and left.

"You don't really think that you can kill me with that now, do you?" Katherine asked him.

"No, but he can." Stefan said. Damon shot Katherine in the back. Anna immediately felt something was wrong. A few seconds later, Jeremy ran by.

"Wait, what's going on?" Anna asked him.

"She's linked to Elena." He told her. They both ran over to the room. "Stop! You're hurting Elena!" He yelled at the guys. "Everything you're doing to her is hurting Elena."

Katherine got up. "You think you two are the only ones with a witch on your side? Wrong and something tells me that my witch is better than your witch."

"Yeah, who'd you blackmail this time?" Anna asked her.

"For your information, Annabelle," She stated. She knew she hated it when she called her that. "She happens to owe me."

"Jeremy, go check on Elena. Make sure she's okay. Go." Jeremy left to check on his sister.

"Let's all make sure poor Elena is okay. Just a little bit of pressure." She cut her hand. Stefan knocked the stake out of her hand.

"Okay, we get it already." Anna said. "I'm going to check on her, too."

"Go ahead. Not like anyone here cares." Anna glared at her.

"At least some of us are still human enough to care." She left.

Outside, Jeremy and Anna found Bonnie trying to heal Elena. "Are you okay?" Jeremy asked her.

"Are they?"

"They're stuck in there with her." Jeremy told her. "You were right, Katherine had a witch that linked Elena to her."

"The girl I saw, the one inside! Stay with her, keep pressure on her shoulder!" Bonnie got up

"Where are you going?" Jeremy asked.

"There's another witch here, I'm gonna find her!" She ran off. Jeremy took off the ring and tried to give it to Elena.

"No." Elena told him.

"Take it."

"No, Jeremy..."

"Elena listen to me: you need this more than I do." Jeremy told her.

"He's right. What if one of them decide to kill Katherine while the spell's still up?" Anna asked.

"No, Jeremy. What I need is for you to be safe." Elena said.

"That looks really bad." Anna told her, looking at her injuries.

"Anna, is there anything you can do to help her?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm not a witch, Jer. I don't know any magic healing spells or anything." Anna said. "Contrary to what you've read in books, ghosts can't magically heal people."

"You guys, I'm fine." Elena insisted.

"You're bleeding." Anna pointed out. A few minutes later, Bonnie showed up.

"How's she doing?" Bonnie asked.

"She doesn't feel as much pain, but it still hurts." Jeremy said. Bonnie went to Elena's side to help heal her. "What about that witch?"

"She's headed upstairs. She undid the linking spell and she's working on taking Katherine down." Bonnie told him.

"Hopefully this will be the end of Katherine." Anna said.

"You really think she's gone?" Elena asked.

"If not, at least locked up where she belongs." Anna said. "The important thing is she won't be able to hurt you guys anymore, Elena."

A few minutes later, Anna met Stefan outside the door. "Hey, where's…"

"He's taking care of things." Stefan told her. "How's Elena?"

"She seems fine." Anna said. "I'm just glad she's okay after that little spell Katherine had done."

"Yeah, thanks for the warning, by the way."

"That was Jeremy, not me. I had no idea what was going on." Anna pointed out. She looked at him. "Elena's out by the pond. I think she's waiting for you." They headed over and found Elena by herself.

"Elena." Anna watched them from a distance.

"I'm okay, I'm okay. Bonnie took away the pain and I think I'm healing." Elena told him.

"I know but I think you should definitely see a doctor anyway."

"I will. I heard about Katherine, is it true? Is she really gone?"

"Yeah, I was so worried about you."

"Stefan...I..."

"Katherine being gone doesn't change anything for you, does it?" Stefan realized.

"I want to be with you, Stefan. You know that but first, I need to wake up and know that the people that I love are safe." Elena told him. "I need to feel safe. Do you understand?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I understand." Anna watched as she walked away. She went back over to Stefan.

"Hey, cheer up." She told him. "I know you guys will get back together someday."

"Are you sure you're not psychic?" Stefan asked her. They both laughed.

"No, I'm not. But I can feel it. You two are soul mates, Stefan." Anna told him. "I have no doubt about that. I should go now. There's a lot to take care of on the other side. I'll see you around. I hope." She disappeared into the night.

**A/N: So that's it for this chapter. I had a lot of trouble writing it. Please let me know what you think and review. There's a slight surprise in the next chapter that might change things.**


	15. Chapter 15

Jeremy found Stefan at his locker at school the next day. "Hey Jeremy."

"Look, Elena's got to let me know if I'm supposed to cover for her." Jeremy told him "Jenna's cool with the two of you but you guys are pushing it."

"What are you talking about?" Stefan asked.

"You and Elena. Look, I'm glad you guys are back together but if she's gonna sleep over…"

"Wait, wait… hold on a minute. We're not back together." Stefan told him.

"Wait… she didn't stay at your place last night?" Jeremy asked.

"No, I mean I saw her at the party but that was it. She didn't sleep over."

"'Cause her bed hadn't been slept in and Mrs. Lockwood said that her car was still in the driveway." They looked at each other. "Where is she then?"

"What's going on?" They both turned around. Anna was standing there.

"Elena's missing." Jeremy told her.

"How did this happen?" Anna asked.

Minutes later, she found herself in the courtyard with Stefan and Damon. "This has Katherine written all over it."

"Katherine's in the tomb. Trust me, I'm the one who shut her in." Damon told them.

"Did you?"

"Did I what, Stefan?"

"Well, I know the hold that Katherine has on you." Stefan told him.

"Kinda hard to deny the fact." Anna added.

"She's in the tomb, period. End of story, but she did say something to me right before I shut her in. I thought she was lying." Damon told them.

"What did she say?" Stefan asked.

"Elena's in danger."

"What? And you didn't think you should ask her to elaborate?" Stefan asked.

"Everything she says is a lie. How was I supposed to know she was starting spitting out the truth?"

"While you both have good points, the problem is, Elena's probably in trouble RIGHT NOW!" Anna yelled at them.

"We have to go talk to her." Stefan said.

"No, no. Let me tell you how that's gonna go: We're gonna go ask her for help, she's gonna negotiate her release which we should dumb enough to get her and she's gonna get out and kill us! This is exactly what she wants!" Damon told him.

"I don't really care." Stefan said.

"It's a bad idea, Stefan."

"It's Elena."

"Stefan, wait!" Anna grabbed his arm. "I don't think Katherine would be willing to help us right now. But I have another idea. I heard about this spell once, it tracks down a person. But there's a catch."

The group met in the classroom with Bonnie. She had a map and candle out on a desk. "How's this is work?" Jeremy asked.

"I'll use your blood to draw the energy for the tracking spell." Bonnie explained. "You're blood related, it'll make the connection stronger."

"Emily did something like this when I separated from my mom after moving to town." Anna said.

"Alright, Alaric said we've got to clear out of here within 10 minutes." Stefan told the group.

"Are you ready?" Bonnie asked. She cut Jeremy's hand and his blood fell onto the map. As she focused, it moved toward Elena's location.

"I'll never get used to that one." Anna said.

"She's there."

"That's three hundred miles away." Jeremy pointed out.

"No Bonnie. We need a more exact location than that."

"That's the closest I can get." Bonnie told them.

"We can map it, area view will show us what's around there, help us bound the area." Jeremy suggested.

"Perfect. Call me with whatever you find." Stefan told him.

"No, no, I'm coming with you!" Jeremy said.

"No Jeremy, you're not."

"no, I'm not gonna just sit here. What if she's hurt okay?" Jeremy pointed out. "Or worse? What if she's…?"

"She's not."

"I can vouch for that." Anna said. "I'd sense it if she were."

"You two go back to your house just in case. I'll call you the minute I find her." Stefan told him.

"But you can't do this alone." Jeremy pointed out.

"He's not. Let's go." Damon said.

"You're coming with me?" Stefan asked.

"It's Elena." They left the classroom.

"Great. It's 1864 all over again." Anna said. Jeremy still looked concerned. "Would it make you feel better if I went to check in on her?"

"You could do that?"

"Of course. It's similar how to you guys call me." Anna said. "Only, it's kinda the other way around. I'll see you soon." She disappeared.

Jeremy and Bonnie were upstairs in his room at home. "Alaric just left with Jenna."

"He's getting her out of the house for a while so she doesn't ask questions about Elena. Look. I pulled this up based on that spell on the map." Jeremy showed her a picture. "there's nothing for miles except for this old house."

"That looks like the right place, alright." Jeremy jumped.

"Please, don't do that when we're in the middle of a crisis, Anna."

"I didn't mean to startle you."

"Did you send it to Stefan?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah. I hate sitting here, waiting like this." Jeremy said.

"Hey, she's gonna be fine." Bonnie told him.

"You don't know that."

"She's okay, right now." Anna told them. "There are two other vampires in the house with her, though. But they don't seem like they want to hurt her."

"Then why'd they kidnap her?" Jeremy asked.

"Hey, I can only communicate with you, Bonnie, and anyone I've known before dying." Anna pointed out. "Elena's an exception for some reason."

"There's something else I want to try." Bonnie said, getting her bag. "I need a candle. Grab Elena's hairbrush."

"Okay, yeah." Jeremy left the room. Bonnie wrote something on a sheet of paper.

"Bonnie, are you sure you wanna do this?" Anna asked.

"I know the risk I'm taking, Anna."

"What's all this stuff for?" Jeremy asked.

"I know it's crazy but I might be able to get her a message." Bonnie told him. She put the paper over the candle and lit it. She closed her eyes and focused. Then they noticed her nose was bleeding.

"Bonnie? Bonnie!"

"I was afraid of this." Anna said. The paper had fully disappeared by the time she was done.

"Bonnie." She smiled at him briefly, then passed out. "Bonnie!"

"She's still alive, don't worry." Anna told him. Jeremy felt a pulse on her. "She must've used too much power. I've never seen it happen before, but I heard about it."

"Is there anything we can do?" Jeremy asked.

"We can just be there for her when she wakes up." Anna said. "Honestly, I don't know how this magic stuff works sometimes."

A few hours later, Anna was watching Bonnie. She saw her wake up. Jeremy returned to the room with a glass of water. "Here, drink this."

"Thanks." Bonnie took the water from him.

"What happened? You scared the hell out of me." Jeremy told her.

"It's nothing."

"It wasn't nothing, Bonnie." Jeremy said.

"I've been doing a lot of magic lately. It wares me down." Bonnie told him.

"When I'm warring down, I take a nap. You were… you were unconscious." Jeremy pointed out.

"We were both really nervous." Anna told her. "You can tell us. I swear, I won't tell anyone."

"Witchcraft has its limits. If I push too hard, it pushes back." Bonnie explained.

"How do you know all this?" Jeremy asked.

"It's all in here; it's like a reminder that I'm not invincible. Please don't… don't tell anyone." Bonnie told him.

"Why not?"

"Because it's a weakness and I don't want certain people to know that." Bonnie said.

"By certain people, you mean Damon." Jeremy said.

"I mean anyone that can hurt me." Bonnie told him.

"She's right. There are some of us that are vengeful toward witches." Anna said. "If any bad one found out about this…well, I don't even wanna think about it."

"I won't tell anyone, okay? I promise." Jeremy told her.

"It's hard you know? My gram is gone and my dad, he doesn't want to know about what I am. He hasn't since my mom left. I'm all alone in this." Bonnie said.

"It's how I feel a lot of the time, alone." Jeremy said.

"Yeah, same here. I'm still trying to get the hang of some of my abilities." Anna said. "And I'm still pretty much alone trying to figure it out." They all looked at each other, realizing they were in the same boat.

"Do you think that worked?" Jeremy asked.

"I have no idea." Bonnie told him.

"I think it did." Anna said.

"Think there's anything else we can do?" Jeremy asked.

"We've done everything we could." Anna said. "I'm not sure if I can check in on her again. All we can do is wait to make sure she gets back safely."

A few hours later, Bonnie was asleep. Jeremy looked at her. Anna was watching from a few feet away, smiling. Then she heard the sound of a door open. Jeremy looked over at her. "That wasn't me." She said.

"Elena." Jeremy realized. Bonnie woke up and they headed downstairs. Elena was back.

Bonnie ran over and embraced her. "Are you okay?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." She looked over at Bonnie. "I got your message." They both held her. Elena returned it and noticed Anna starting to fade somewhere else.

"Hey." Elena said. They both looked over at Anna, without letting go of Elena. "I don't know how, but I knew you were there. Thanks for trying to help." Anna smiled as she faded away.

The guys were talking at the Boarding House "I know, we'll keep her safe."

"You know, the only way we're gonna be able to do that is if we're not fighting each other. We let Katherine come between us. If we let that happen with Elena, we're not gonna be able to protect her." Stefan pointed out.

"Yes, Stefan, I heard it all before." Damon told him.

"Hey."

"What?"

"I'm sorry."

"About what?"

"For being the guy who made you turn 145 years ago." Stefan explained.

"Enough Stef, it's late."

"You know what? I've never said it out loud. I guess I just need to say it and you need to hear it. I'm sorry. What I did was selfish. I didn't want to be alone. I guess I just needed my brother."

"Sorry to ruin the moment." They both looked up and saw Anna.

"Hey, I was wondering when you'd reappear." Damon said.

"I just wanted to thank you guys for finding and bringing Elena back safe." Anna told them.

"It was nothing." Damon told her.

"Hey, I heard you tried to find her." Stefan said. "A lot of spirits wouldn't do what you did to try and help."

"Well, I know I'm different than most of them." Anna said. "I'll see you guys again soon." She disappeared after that.

A few hours later, Stefan was in the library, when he heard something. "Who's there?" He asked. Rose entered the room.

"I'm not here to hurt you." She told him.

"Why are you here?" Stefan asked.

"Lexi once told me that you're one of the good ones." Rose said.

"You knew Lexi?"

"Oh, yeah. We go way back." A voice behind him said. Stefan turned around and saw a girl with long, blonde hair in jeans and a blue jacket, with a purple top underneath.

"You're here."

"I've been here the whole time." Lexi told him.

"Why haven't I seen you until now?"

"Because you haven't thought of me until now. You know, I know my dying upset you, but if you repress your thoughts of me, I may as well be invisible." She explained. "I've been calling you for months." Rose was trying not to laugh.

"I'm guessing she's ticked."

"Probably."

"And for the record, I already got my revenge on your brother." Lexi said. "I just wish you'd have thought about me under better circumstances."

"How's he…"

"He's fine." Lexi told her. "He's going to be okay."

"Trevor was my best friend. For 500 years I have lived with one person and he's gone and I don't want to run anymore because I don't have anywhere else to run to." Rose explained to Stefan.

"Well, I'm sorry but I can't help you." Stefan told her.

"I don't need your help but I think you need mine." Rose said. "Elijah may be dead but this isn't over."

"What do you mean "it's not over"?" Stefan asked.

"It isn't over. The originals, they'll come for her." Rose explained. "They have to. They're doing it for him."

"Oh, God." Lexi whispered.

"For whom?" Stefan asked.

"Klaus." Rose told him.

"I hate to be to be the one saying this, but it looks like Elena's in danger." Lexi said.

"And how can we be sure she…" Stefan indicated to Rose, "Isn't lying? And even if we believe her, how do we convince Elena?"

"Relax. Now that I'm back, I can help." Lexi said. "And I'm not going to let any bad guy get between you and your girlfriend."

**A/N: Looks like there's another ghost in town. Please review and let me know what you think.**


	16. Chapter 16

The next morning, Elena knocked on the door to the Boarding House. Damon answered.

"Hello, Elena."

"Stefan here? He called. He said it was important." Elena said.

"Right this way." She headed in at the same time Stefan showed up.

_"_Hey"

"What is this about?" Elena asked. Rose showed up then. "You."

"Don't worry, she's not here to kidnap you again." Another voice said. Elena looked around, but only saw the three vampires in front of her.

"Did you just…" Elena began.

"That wasn't me." Rose said.

"Oh, great. You're back?" Damon said.

"I'd say I'd haunt you till you die, but that could take a long time." The voice said. Elena turned around, seeing a familiar blonde girl.

"Lexi."

"Long time no see, Elena."

"How can I see you?"

"We must've connected that night, otherwise, I don't think you'd be able to." Lexi explained.

"Can we move this to the living room? We don't have time for this." Rose said.

"Right. I forgot." They headed into the living room.

"Okay, you have to understand I only know what I've picked up over the years and I don't know what's true and what's not true." Rose explained as the group sat down. "It's the problem with all this vampire crap but Klaus, I know he's real."

"Who is he?" Elena asked.

"He's one of the Originals, he's a legend." Damon told her.

"From the first generation of vampires." Stefan added.

"And they're a lot stronger than we are." Lexi said.

"Like Elijah?" Elena asked.

"No. Elijah was the Easter Bunny to Klaus." Rose said. "He's a foot soldier. Klaus is the real deal."

"Klaus is known to be the oldest." Stefan said.

"And the cruelest." Lexi added. Stefan turned to her. "What? There's no point in sugarcoating it, Stef. I heard he's really bad."

"Okay, so you're saying that the oldest vampire in the history of time is coming after me?" Elena asked.

"Yes." Rose said.

"No." Stefan said at the same time.

"Don't confuse the poor girl." Lexi told them.

"What they're saying is, I mean if what she's saying is true…" Damon said, attempting to interpret.

"Which it is." Rose said.

"And you're saying it so I don't kill you."

"Which I'm not."

"Then we're looking at a solid maybe."

"Look, Elijah's dead, right? So no one else even know that you exist." Stefan said.

"Not that you know of." Rose pointed out.

"That's not helping." Damon told her.

"Look, I've never even met anyone who's laid eyes on him. I mean, we're talking centuries of truth mixed with fiction." Stefan pointed out. "We don't know if he's real. For all we know he could just be some sort of stupid bed time stories."

"He's real and he doesn't give up. If he wants something, he gets it. If you're not afraid of Klaus, then you're an idiot." Rose said.

"Alright, we're shaking. You made your point." Damon said.

"Look, all this is doing is making her even more nervous." Lexi pointed out.

"Why are you even here?" Damon asked her.

"I've known Rose a long time, so you can believe me when I say you can trust her." Lexi told them. "When it's something this important, she wouldn't lie."

Elena got up. "Where are you going?"

"To school. I'm late." Elena pointed out.

"Let me grab my stuff, I'll go with you." Stefan told her.

"It's okay, I know where it is." Elena said. She left in a hurry, but Lexi felt like she was hiding something.

_"_She's in denial." Damon told Rose.

"Shut up, Damon." Stefan and Lexi said at the same time. They looked at each other.

"Guess we still think alike." Lexi said.

Elena was in the woods with Caroline. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this. I'm a terrible liar."

"And keep Stefan busy. I don't want him to know what I'm up to." Elena told her.

"I'm even worse at duplicity and you know this."

"You managed to keep me occupied when Katherine paid Stefan a visit."

"Yeah, because she threatened me. Not that I'm saying that you should use that as a tactic, it's… Stefan's gonna see right through me." Caroline said.

"Caroline, as my friend, do you promise or not?"

"You had to break out the girlfriend code. Okay. I promise."

"Okay."

"Why don't you want Stefan to know?"

"Because he would never be okay with me doing this."

"I'm not sure any of us would be okay with this, Elena." She turned around. Anna was there.

"Look, I need answers. I know they said I could trust Rose, but we both know there's only one person who knows the real story." Elena pointed out. Anna followed them into the tomb.

"I'm staying with you." Anna told her. "I want to make sure she doesn't try anything."

_"_Are you sure you want to do this?" Caroline asked.

"Yes, I'm sure. She's the only one who knows the truth about Klaus." Elena said. "The only one who can tell me how to stop him."

"But you're asking for the truth from someone who's probably never given it. Are you sure about this?" Caroline asked.

"Yeah. I just can't stay back and wait. I have to know, Caroline. Please." Caroline opened the door.

_"_Katherine?" Elena called. She turned to Caroline. "I'll be okay from here." They heard something move and turned. Katherine showed up. Anna was surprised how bad she looked. If this weren't serious, she'd probably be laughing.

"Hello Elena. You come to watch me wither away?" Katherine asked. "Goodbye Caroline"

"As long as I stay on this side on the door, she can't hurt me. Please." Elena told her. Caroline left.

"Well, I'm surprised you're still here, Anna." Katherine said.

"If we didn't need you right now, trust me, I'd be happy." Anna told her.

_"_Stefan know you're here?"

"I brought you some things." Elena said. Anna looked at her. "Trust me."

"You came to bribe me? What is it that you want?" Katherine asked.

"I want you to tell me about Klaus." Elena told her.

"Hmm, you've been busy." Katherine said.

"Yeah, thanks to you, she was kidnapped." Anna said.

"Hey, it's not my fault the message came late."

"Like it's not your fault you're a liar?"

"Hey, we need the help." Elena pointed out. "I brought you this." She took a leather-bound book out of her bag. Anna noticed the word Petrova written on the side. "It's your family history. It says in here that the family line ended with you. Obviously that's not true."

"You think that if you brought me some family keepsake then I'd open up?" Katherine asked.

"Wait, that's your name?" Anna asked.

"You were a vampire. Haven't you changed yours over the century?"

"Touché."

"I also brought you this." Elena took out a bottle of blood. Katherine rushed to the doorway, but the barrier kept her from getting out. "You don't look so good. How long before your body shuts down? 10, 20 years? It must be painful to desiccate and mummify. I can't even imagine."

Katherine sat down. Anna looked at her. "Wow. You must be from the same bloodline." Elena poured the blood into a glass and passed it to Katherine.

"You have the Petrova fire." Katherine told her. "It's a long story, Klaus and I. it was all the way back to England, 1492, after I left Bulgaria or was thrown out."

"Thrown out?" Elena asked.

"My family, your true ancestors, they disowned me." Katherine explained. "My indiscretions were not tolerated at the time. I had a baby out of wedlock. A shame."

"It was kept secret?"

"My baby was given away. I was banished to England and I had to learn to adjust so I quickly became English." Katherine told her. "It was there that I caught the eye of a noble man name Klaus. I was taken with him at first until I found out what he was and what he wanted from me and then I ran like hell."

"Whoa." Anna said. "Mother said you were older than we were, I always thought it was a couple hundred years."

"One of the guys I'd befriended back then helped me escape." Katherine told them.

"So, what did Klaus want?" Elena asked.

"The same thing that he wants from you. He wants to break the curse." Katherine said.

"The Sun and Moon curse?" Anna asked.

"By sacrificing the Petrova doppelganger." Elena said.

"He wanted to drain every single drop of blood of my body." Katherine told her.

At the Boarding House, Lexi was comforting Rose. "Stefan told me what happened. I'm so sorry about your friend."

"It's alright. I should've known what we were getting into, making a deal with an Original." Rose told her. She brushed one of her tears away.

"Alright, Rosebud. I need some answers." They looked as Damon entered. "Oh please don't tell me you're crying 'cause your buddy Trevor lost his head."

"That's low, Damon." Lexi told him.

"You've always been this sensitive?" Rose asked.

"Full vampire switch for this very reason. Takes the emotion out of it." Damon pointed out.

"Yeah, you switch yours, I'll switch mine." Rose told him.

"Is that a dig?"

"It's an observation. Being in love with your brother's girlfriend must be difficult." Lexi looked at Rose.

"What?"

"I'm not in love with anyone." Damon told her.

"You're lying, Damon. I can feel it." Lexi told him.

"You want to try that again?" Rose asked him.

"Don't get on my bad side." Damon warned.

"Then show me your good side." Rose said. Lexi looked at them.

"Wow. I never met anyone who could match Damon like that."

"How do I find Klaus?" Damon asked.

"You don't find Klaus, he finds you." Rose told him.

"Are you insane? Do you have a death wish, Damon?" Lexi asked. "If he finds you, he will kill you."

"So what? I died before. I got over it." Damon told her. He turned to Rose. "Come on. Somebody's got to know somebody who knows where he is, right?"

"Add another two hundred somebodies to that and you're still not even close." Rose told him.

"Humor me. You got in touch with Elijah, how did you do it?" Damon asked.

"Through a very low somebody on the churching poll." Rose explained. "A guy named Slater in Richmond."

"He's still around?" Lexi asked. "I thought he left years ago."

"No, he pretty much spends all his time underground."

"Perfect. I'll drive." Damon said.

"No. You forget not all of us can do sun." Rose said.

"Then you drive." Damon said. "Come on."

"Wait for me." Lexi said. "There's no way you're going alone."

"Don't you trust Rose?" Damon asked.

"Of course I do." Lexi said. "It's you I don't trust." Rose smiled as she left the room. "Not one word."

Back in the tomb, the girls were still talking. "What does the Petrova blood line have to do with Klaus?" Elena asked.

"Yeah, I see why you faked your death all those years ago. I just don't get why he was after you to begin with." Anna said.

"It's really tedious but," Katherine took a drink of blood. She looked more like herself again. "The curse was bound by the sacrifice of Petrova blood. Witches are crafty with their spells." She explained. "The doppelganger was created as a way to be able to undo the spell. Once the doppelganger reappeared, the curse can be broken."

"So you ran before he killed you." Elena said.

"Something like that." Katherine said. She explained how Trevor had given her directions to Rose's safe house and that she had planned on bringing her back to Klaus that evening.

"Rose never ended up taking you back to Klaus, did she?" Elena asked.

"No but not because she had a change of heart." Katherine said. "I tried to stab myself, so she gave me her blood to heal me. Then Trevor showed up and when her back was turned, I decided to end my human life."

"You killed yourself?!" Elena asked. Even Anna was surprised.

"Klaus needed a human doppelganger. As a vampire, I was no longer any use to him." Katherine told her.

"Still, killing yourself?" Anna repeated. "Not that you didn't have a good reason to turn, but that is one of the worst ways to do it. I saw one of my friends attempt it. Didn't end well."

"But it didn't work. You didn't really escape, you've been running from Klaus ever since." Elena pointed out.

"I under estimated his peered for vengeance but leaving with a suitcase is better than dying so you can have your blood spilled over some silly little rock." Katherine told her. Elena looked at her. Anna took her hand. "What's wrong? Afraid, right? You don't want to die? There's another way out." She cut her wrist with her nails. "Better hurry. Your opportunity is going, going, going and gone." It healed quickly. "I made the other choice."

"Rose and Trevor spent the last 500 years running because you used them." Elena said. Now she seemed angry. "Trevor just got killed."

"I never thought he would last for that long." Katherine said. Anna was angry at how indifferent she was.

"You don't even care that you ruined their lives." Elena realized.

"I was looking out for myself, Elena. I will always look out for myself. If you're smart, you'll do the same." Katherine told her.

"Yeah, sending my mother and twenty-five others to their supposed deaths was a good way to look out for yourself." Anna said. "All this just to escape one psychotic vampire?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Katherine turned to her. "They were tracking me. I had to get them off my trail. If I had stayed here, chances are they'd all have died anyway. Them and likely everyone else in town at that time."

"I had to leave because of what your stunt did!"

"Look, if you're going to haunt me for eternity, go ahead. Not like I'm dying anytime soon."

"Anna." She turned to face Elena. "This isn't helping. I know that you're mad at her, believe me, we all have a reason to be, but we need to figure out what to do about this mess she's gotten us into."

"How can we trust her?" Anna asked.

"You're the one who can sense if she's lying, right?" Elena said.

At the Grill, Stefan was with Caroline. "Okay, now I'm leaving."

"Wait!" Caroline said.

"No, no, no, Caroline, you have two seconds to come clean." Stefan told her.

"What do you mean?"

"I'd believe your whole innocent act a little bit better if I didn't know how good you are at providing a distraction on demand. Where is Elena?"

"I can't tell you." She admitted.

"You can't tell me? Are you kidding me?"

"I'm sorry but I… I can't tell you."

"Caroline! Elena was kidnapped, she could have been killed and you're seriously not gonna tell me where she is?"

"She's not in any danger. I would not have let her put herself in danger." Caroline told him.

"Put herself in danger where? What do you…? She's with Damon isn't she?"

"Ew, no."

"Then where… where is she? Listen, if you're my friend like you've been pretending to be all day, then you'll tell me where she is."

"Stefan, I am your friend but I'm also Elena's friend and I'm sorry but I'm not going to tell you where she is." Caroline said. "But here's one thing I will tell you, those ghost friends of yours would never leave her alone."

Back in the tomb, Anna was still sitting with Elena outside the cave wall. "So how much of your little story is true?" Elena asked.

"I have no reason to lie, Elena. I have no reason to do anything but sit here and read and rot." Katherine stated.

"She's not kidding." Anna said. "It sounds like everything she's told us is true."

"That's the reason why you came back isn't it?" Elena said, putting the pieces together. "Because you wanted to be the one to hand me over to Klaus."

"Five hundred years on the run, I figured maybe he'd be willing to strike a deal." Katherine said.

"You low life bit…" Anna began, but Elena cut her off.

"So you got Mason Lockwood to find you the moonstone." Elena said.

"Right again." Katherine said.

"What else do you need to break the curse?" Elena asked.

"Hmm, look who's getting smarter." Katherine said.

"Wait, I think I see what you're up to now." Anna said.

"It's not just me or the stone, is it?" Elena said. "Otherwise that you'd be no reason to trigger Tyler Lockwood's werewolf curse."

"Witches and their spells: so many ingredients, so many people to sacrifice." Katherine said.

"So you need a werewolf." Elena stated.

"Believe it or not, they're hard to come by."

"I'll say. I didn't even know they existed until now." Anna said.

"What else?" Elena asked.

"A witch to do the spell." Katherine said. "Mine bailed but Bonnie will do just fine."

"Haven't you learned your lesson about messing with the Bennett witches?" Anna asked.

"In my defense, I had no idea they were even related." Katherine told her.

"What else is needed to break the curse?" Elena asked.

"A vampire."

"That's why you turned Caroline!" Anna realized.

"It could have been anyone I suppose but I like the poetry of Caroline." Katherine said.

"So you were gonna just hand us all over to be killed?" Elena asked.

"Better you die than I." Katherine said. She headed back into the tomb.

"Why you sneaky little lowlife bitch, I'm gonna…" Anna tried to go into the tomb, but Elena grabbed her arm.

"Anna, wait!" Anna turned and noticed Elena looked scared. She forgot about Katherine and went to her side.

"What is it?"

"If her plan worked, would we end up…like you?"

"I don't know, Elena." Anna said. "Not all people, human or supernatural, become ghosts. Some of them just…" She stopped there, not wanting to make it worse, but it seemed like she had already gotten the message.

Elena sat down on the ground. "Elena, listen to me." Anna told her. "I'm not going to let anything happen to you guys. Not if I can help it." She looked at her. "The one advantage of being what I am is that no vampire can hurt me."

"Thanks, Anna." Elena said. Anna sat down next to her. She had no idea how much time passed before Stefan showed up.

"Elena."

"Stefan, what are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question."

"Caroline told you." Elena guessed.

"No, she kept your secret but it didn't take long for me to figure out what was the important that you'd have to keep it from me." Stefan told her. He turned to Anna. "I should've known something was up when you didn't appear."

"I promised to stay with her." Anna said. "Seriously, even ghosts like me are bound to commitments." He turned back to Elena.

"Listen to me, whatever she said to you is a lie. Do not listen to her. She's a liar, Elena."

"What if she isn't? You didn't hear what she said." Elena pointed out.

"And she wasn't." Anna said. "I could sense it. She was telling the truth the whole time."

"You don't have to worry, I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." Stefan told her.

"That's the problem, you won't but you'll die trying. How's that any better?" Elena pointed out.

_"_There's nothing you can do, Stefan." The group turned around. Katherine was back. "I haven't even told you the best part of the story. He killed them, my entire family just to get back at me for running. Whatever you do to escape Klaus, he will get his vengeance on your friends, your family and anyone that you've ever loved."

"I'm beginning to see why my mother was suspicious about trusting you." Anna said.

_"_No, look at me. No, do not listen to her, okay?"

"Always the protector but you must realize that she's doomed." Katherine pointed out. "There's nothing you can do to stop it unless of course you have this." She held up the moonstone.

"What?"

"Are you kidding me?" Anna said. "How's that stupid rock going to help us? It's nothing but trouble!"

"You spun this whole thing so that we would have to get the stone from you, didn't you?" Stefan asked her.

"I didn't spin anything, Stefan. It's the truth." Katherine said. He turned to Anna. She nodded.

"No, let me guess. You want to trade that stone for your freedom, you manipulative, psychotic bitch."

"My freedom? That's where you're wrong, Stefan." Katherine said. "I don't want my freedom because when Klaus shows up to kill us all and he will, I'll be in the tomb, where no vampire will enter because they can't get out. I'll be the safest psychotic bitch in town." She headed back into the tomb.

"I never thought I'd say this, like ever, but for once, I'm glad I'm dead." Anna said. Elena and Stefan looked at her. "Uh, yeah, let's get out of here. I've had enough of this place for one day."

At the Boarding House, Lexi was with Rose. "Man, that was crazy. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Lexi. Just a little shaken up."

"I can't believe someone almost blew up the place." Lexi said.

"You're telling me." Rose said. "Good thing we were the only two there that could see you."

"Yeah, we were lucky we got you out of there. I'm just glad it sunlight doesn't effect me like that."

"True, but doesn't it make you transparent when it reflects through the window?"

"I've only been a ghost six months. I don't think we can turn invisible, Rose." They headed into the living room, where Damon was sitting.

"I'm sorry about today. I didn't know that was gonna happen." Rose told him.

"I believe you." Damon said.

"I wish we could save Elena. I know that you want to."

"And I will."

"So will I." Lexi said. "I may not like you very much, but where Elena's concerned, that's where we're on the same page."

"You remind me of Trevor." Rose said.

"Why him?" Damon asked.

"Because he always talked big game, always working on angle but underneath all this, he was the best friend anyone could hope for." Rose explained. Lexi was smiling. She remembered Trevor pretty well.

"And where did that get him?" Damon asked.

"Dead." Rose said, grimily. "And my loyalty to him almost got me dead too."

"I haven't seen him, but I'm sure he's with the rest of us here somewhere." Lexi told her.

"That's good to know." Damon handed her a glass.

"To friendship."

"You're right to fight it, how do you feel about her." Rose said.

"And why's that?" Damon asked her.

"Because if you want to survive, you need to not care about anyone." Rose said.

"Caring gets you dead, huh?"

"You would know." Lexi pointed out. "You're the one who killed me when I came to visit your brother."

"It might just be time to turn the switch off on your emotions."

"I will if you will."

"Okay, I'm outta here." Lexi said. She walked out into the hallway before fading, not that they noticed.

Outside, Anna and Stefan had taken Elena home. Anna wanted to make sure Elena was okay, given how their day went.

"Elena."

"I can't talk about it, Stefan."

"You have to." Anna looked at him.

"I don't know if this is a good time." She told him.

"Don't shut me out. Elena, please."

"I wanted to know the truth, Stefan and I got it. It's not just me that's in danger. It's Caroline and it's Tyler and its Bonnie. They're all part of breaking the curse." Elena told him. "I can't blame anyone else anymore because it's not because you came into town or because you and I fell in love. That's not why everyone that I love is in danger. It's because of me, everything is because of me."

Stefan held her as she cried. Anna looked at them. She knew she was going to help them deal with this problem, but she also knew when they needed privacy. She faded away into the night, wondering how they could find a way to help.


	17. Chapter 17

The following morning, Elena headed downstairs to find Stefan, Damon, and Anna outside. "Hey, can we talk?" Stefan asked.

"Why?"

"We went to see Katherine."

"Correction: you went to see Katherine. I just happened to be listening in nearby." Anna said.

"Come on in." They sat down around the kitchen.

"Katherine said she was willing to give up the moonstone if we manage to get her out of the tomb." Anna explained. "I don't know about them, but I say it's a bad idea."

"You don't believe her, do you?" Elena asked.

"No, of course not." Damon said. "We just want the moonstone."

"According to Rose's friend Slater, there's the way to destroy the spell that Klaus wants to break." Stefan told her.

"No spell, no doppelganger sacrifice so ergo you live."

"How do you destroy it?"

"By releasing it from the moonstone." Stefan explained.

"How do you guys even know this is gonna work?" Elena asked.

"'cause we have a crafty witch on our side."

"You discussed with Bonnie."

"She agreed to do anything she could to help us." Stefan said.

"And I say, leave the witch out of this." Anna said. "Are you forgetting what happened the last time she opened the tomb?"

"Yeah, well if we don't do something, Elena will die." Damon pointed out.

"It's Katherine who has the moonstone. She's not gonna give it to you." Elena said.

"We're gonna get it from her." Stefan told her.

"Well, what he means to say is we will pry it from her cold dead hand if we have to."

"Bonnie just needs to find a way to release the seal long enough for us to get in, get the moonstone and get out in time for her to return it." Stefan explained.

"And why can't I just go in and take it from her?" Anna asked. "I'm a ghost, not a vampire. The seal wouldn't effect me."

"How would you be able to sneak up on Katherine? She can see you." Stefan pointed out.

"Fine, but I still think this is a bad idea." Anna said.

"Whoa, seems like you guys have already all planned out." Elena said.

"Yep, we're awesome." Damon said.

"Except for one thing. I don't want you to do it."

"What?"

"What are you talking about? Elena, we don't have a choice." Stefan told her.

"What about Klaus?" Elena asked.

"We'll find him right after we get the moonstone."

"Is that before or after that he kills everyone that I care about, including the two of you?"

"She's got a point there." Anna said.

"Elena, if we can dispel the moonstone, we can save your life."

"I know, everybody keeps saying that." Elena got up and left.

"Yeah, or Klaus will still kill her and everyone else in town." Anna told them. "Do you two ever think of how it would effect someone?"

"Are you worried about Jeremy?" Damon asked.

"Of course I am. But this town's important to me, too. So, how are we going to do this?" Anna asked.

At the Boarding House, Elena showed up. The door was open before she could get in. "Hey."

"I will never get used to that. How'd you know I was here?"

"I heard you park your car out back." Lexi told her. Elena stepped into the house. Rose came in, wearing nothing except a robe.

"It's not nice to leave a girl naked so early in the morning." She looked up and saw Elena with Lexi. "Sorry, I thought you were…"

"I… sorry."

"Well, this just got awkward." Lexi said.

"There is no one else here."

"Actually I came to talk to you." Elena told her.

"Then I should probably get dressed."

"Does this have something to do with you and the guys?" Lexi asked when Rose left the room. Elena looked at her, surprised. "Anna told me."

"Sort of." Elena told her.

A few minutes later, the girls were sitting around the living room. "It's a bad idea." Rose said.

"No, it's not. From what Stefan told me, your friend Slater obviously has more information about Klaus. You and Damon just gave up before you got it." Elena told her.

"Because somebody blew up a coffee shop with us in it." Rose explained.

"Yeah, if that doesn't say back off, I don't know what does." Lexi said. "Obviously someone knew it was a vampire hangout. If I were still one of them, I would've ran too."

"There's more to learn. We just have to find a way to learn it." Elena told her.

"Why are you coming to me with this?" Rose asked.

"Because you owe me." Elena pointed out. "One word from me and Damon and Stefan could have killed you for kidnapping me."

"Or maybe it's because you know that they wouldn't want you doing this."

"We're having a disagreement, okay? They're willing to risk everyone that I love and I'm not." Elena explained.

"You're right to try to keep the others safe." Lexi told her.

"They're just trying to protect you." Rose pointed out.

"And you've proven you couldn't care less whether I'm protected or not so we're back to you taking me to Slater."

"What exactly do you hope to achieve by this?" Rose asked.

"How would you like to be able to walk during the daylight?" Elena asked her.

"I've been the slave to shadows for 500 years, what do you think?"

"I think I know a witch who's willing to do whatever it takes to help if you're willing to make a deal."

"There's no way this is going to end well." Lexi said. "But I'm in."

A few minutes later, Anna arrived. "Okay, which one of you called me?"

"I think it was Gilbert Jr. here." Damon said.

"Shut up." Jeremy said.

"Just ignore him." Bonnie told him. "We're glad you're here. We could really use a hand with this."

"You're not seriously planning to let Katherine out, are you?" Anna asked.

"I don't know if we really have a choice, Anna." Bonnie said. "I might be able to lower the tomb spell long enough for you to get in there and grab the moonstone from Katherine."

"How? It took both you and your grams last time and look what happened to her." Jeremy said.

"Jeremy!" Anna was surprised at him. She knew bringing it up was never a good idea, especially around Bonnie. She also still felt guilty for her part in it.

"I'm aware of what happened. I've learned a few new things."

"Bonnie…"

"How will you get it?" Bonnie asked Stefan.

"She hasn't been feeding. She's weaker, we're not." He pointed out.

"You wouldn't be underestimating her, do you?" Bonnie asked.

"It's a plan. Is it perfect? What plan is?"

"Let me do it. I've got my ring, I could get in, get out and no spell necessary." Jeremy said.

"Yeah, but then Katherine kills you and I know you'll come back, but I still think it's too dangerous." Anna told him.

"The barrier doesn't stop ghosts. Can't you go with him?" Damon asked.

"We've been over this. Ghosts can't turn invisible, especially young ghosts, we're either on this side or we're not." Anna said. "Besides, I'm not sure I'd even be able to fight her and protect him at the same time."

"Maybe I can help better the plan. Do you have anything that belongs to Katherine?" Bonnie asked. The others looked over at Stefan.

At old apartment, Rose knocked on the door. "Slater? Slater, it's Rose. Open up!" She turned to Elena and Lexi. "He's not home, sorry."

"We didn't come all the way out of here for nothing." Elena pointed out.

"Seriously, I can't believe you're even trying that one, Rosie." Lexi said. "I'm not letting you out of this." Rose opened the door with her strength.

"After you." The group entered. Lexi could sense something was off. "Slater?"

"Something's wrong." Lexi noticed. She looked around and found a vampire, dead and greying. She did the last thing she expected to do, she screamed. That got Rose's attention.

"I don't think he's gonna be much help." Rose said. Elena entered and saw the body.

"Oh, my God." She turned to Lexi. "You okay?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. I'm normally not so freaked about this kinda stuff." Lexi told her. Elena looked around and found some papers and a computer while she and Rose covered and got rid of the body.

"Looks like whoever blew up the coffee shop found him and killed him for his information."

"Yeah, probably for helping people like us." Rose told her, coming back in. "The guy was a vampire almanac. Knowing too much information just beat him in the ass." She walked over and opened the curtains.

"What are you…" Elena began.

"Tempted glass, UV rays can't penetrate." She looked out the window. "I used to just come here and watch the day."

"I remember. We used to hang out here a few years ago." Lexi said.

"I'm sorry about Slater." Elena told them.

"It wasn't you're fault, Elena." Lexi told her. "Besides, I didn't really like Slater that much. No offense, Rose."

"None taken." She said. "Any luck?"

Elena was looking at a computer. "It's password protected, I can't get in"

"Then this is pointless, let's just go." Rose said.

"Wait, I hear something." Lexi told them. "Sounds like it's coming from the bedroom." Then Rose heard it, too and left to investigate.

At the Boarding House, Anna was with Jeremy. "Hey, don't worry so much."

"I can't help it. What if she gives her life trying?" Jeremy asked.

"If anything happens, I could just get it." Anna said. "Though I don't know if I'll be able to even touch an object like that." She put an arm around his shoulder.

"Yeah, but you're touching me."

"I don't know. It's like, there are some objects ghosts can't touch or pick up, as though it's protected. It's different than holding someone's hand or whatever." Stefan returned to the room.

"This belonged to Katherine. I found it with her things after I thought she was dead but it was hers." He handed Bonnie and old portrait of Katherine. Bonnie took it and placed it in a bowl. She did a spell and it started to burn.

"What is this?" Damon asked.

"I can turn the metal into ash, blow the ashes on her and it will incapacitate her for a minute or two. Long enough for you to get the stone and get out." Bonnie explained. A few minutes later, she set them on the table.

"We should get the torches."

"Alaric's stakes are in my trunk. Bonnie?"

"Go ahead. I'm almost done." She told them. Anna stayed with her. She saw what happened before and was concerned.

"What are you doing? You're not strong enough." Jeremy said.

"I'll be fine." Bonnie told him.

"You could get hurt."

"And Elena could die. I'll be fine. I promise." Bonnie said.

"I got this okay? Go get me something to put this in, alright?" Jeremy asked. Bonnie left the room. Jeremy took some of the ashes.

"What are you doing?" Anna asked.

"Look, it's not worth losing her life." Jeremy pointed out.

"Okay, I'm concerned about her, too, Jeremy." Anna told him. "But this is too dangerous. Katherine will likely kill you no matter how many times you come back."

"So, what should I do? Let Bonnie try to risk her life to let her free?" Jeremy pointed out. He started to leave.

"Hang on, I'm coming with you." Anna said. "There's no way I'm letting you out of sight. Not when you're gonna be around Katherine."

Meanwhile, back at Slater's apartment, they'd convinced the girl, Alice, to help them get into Slater's computer. Lexi was with them, surprised by the information they'd found.

"These are all leads to vampires?" Elena asked.

"Slater was obsessed. Almost as much as me." Alice told her.

"What about that one: Cody Webber? They exchanged dozens of emails about Elijah." Rose observed.

"I could call him." Alice offered.

"Tell him that we're trying to send a message to Klaus: the doppelganger is alive and she's ready to surrender." Elena told her.

"What?!" Rose and Lexi shared a look with each other and followed Elena into the other room.

"What are you doing?" Rose asked.

"I'm getting Klaus's attention." Elena said.

"If Klaus knows that you're alive, he'll find you and he'll kill you." Rose pointed out. Then it hit her. "Which is exactly what you wanted all along."

"It's either me or my family." Elena told them.

"So all of this is a suicide mission so that you could sacrifice yourself and save everyone else?"

"Elena, this is crazy." Lexi said. "I know we need to stop Klaus, but this isn't the answer."

"I don't know how else to keep my family and the people I care about safe, Lexi." Elena told her. "The way I see it, it's the only way."

"And how would everyone else feel if you died saving them?" Lexi pointed out. "Your brother, your aunt, your friends, Stefan."

"That's just it." Elena said. "If I didn't do it willingly, he'll kill all of them, Lexi. I couldn't live with that." She left the room. Lexi turned to Rose.

"We've got to do something about this."

"There's only one thing I can think of."

"Do it."

In the tomb, Anna was hiding nearby Jeremy. She waited until Katherine was unconscious before moving. She quickly looked around the tomb, knowing she wouldn't be stupid enough to keep it on her, where Jeremy was looking.

"Come on, where is it?"

"Jer, back here!" Anna called. He followed the sound of her voice and found her near the moonstone. Jeremy picked it up and ran to get out, with Anna close behind him. Suddenly, Katherine rushed over, but Anna threw her off, forcing him to fall to the ground. He managed to throw the stone out of the tomb.

"Leave Jeremy alone." Anna said, getting in front of him.

"You really think you can protect him?" Katherine asked.

"I can try." Anna told her.

Outside, the group met at the church ruins. "Sorry I'm late. I got the grimoire from home." Bonnie told them.

"Jeremy couldn't take the pressure?"

"He said he'd be here." Bonnie said. She and Stefan headed underground. As they did, Bonnie felt as though Anna was calling her.

Damon's phone rang. He answered. "Not a good time Rose."

"Don't be angry with me."

"Why, what did you do?"

"You need to get to Richmond immediately."

"Tell me."

"Dude, we were both idiots, okay?" He heard Lexi say into the phone. "Just get over here."

Back in the tomb, Anna was still in front of Jeremy. "How long before your power gives out?" Katherine asked.

"At least my strength can't be depleted like yours." Anna shot back.

"You've never kept it up this long, have you?"

"Anna, stop." Jeremy said.

"No. I can't let her get to you, Jer." Anna said.

Outside the tomb, Bonnie and Stefan were setting up when he suddenly noticed the moonstone on the ground. "What the hell?"

"Is it the moonstone?" Bonnie asked. Then she heard Anna's voice, as though she were using telepathy.

"Bonnie...it's Jeremy…he's…"

"Anna?" Bonnie called. There was no sign of her. Katherine showed up at the door, with Jeremy nearby.

"I'm sorry. I took some powder." He told them.

"Don't worry, I know that he's wearing his ring so no matter how many times I kill him, he'll just be coming back for more." Suddenly, Katherine dropped to the ground, taking Jeremy with her.

"Let him go!" They were surprised to see Anna. "I'm so sorry. She sped behind me and the next thing I knew, he was out."

"Where the hell is Damon?"

"We can't wait, we have to get him out of there." Bonnie pointed out. "We still have what's left of the ash. Do you think you can get close enough?"

"I don't have a choice."

"It's gonna take me some time." Bonnie told them.

"How long?"

"I don't know, a while."

"You don't have to do this, Bonnie." Anna said. She managed to pull Jeremy out of Katherine's grip. "I can get him out of here."

"Yeah, but what if she decides to go after you next?" Bonnie asked. "She knows a little more about this ghost thing than the rest of us, Anna."

"I'll do anything it takes to get you guys out of here while you're still alive. Well, somewhat alive." She corrected, looking at Stefan.

"You really think you can protect your stupid human friend, don't you?" Katherine said.

"Touch him again and I swear I will kill you." Anna told her. "I've had practice."

Back at Slater's apartment, Rose was with Lexi, who was pacing. "Do you have to keep doing that?"

"I can't help it." Lexi told her. "If he doesn't show, we're screwed."

"This coming from Miss Optimistic?"

"Hello, you'd feel the same if you're best friend was trying to get themselves killed." Lexi pointed out.

"What are you doing here?" She heard Elena call from the other room. They both entered to find out Damon had arrived. Elena turned to Rose. "You called him?"

"I'm sorry, Elena."

"You said that you understood."

"She lied." Damon told her. "Come on, we're leaving."

"No."

"I said we're leaving."

"I'm not going with you."

"You do not get to make decisions anymore."

"Damon…" Lexi began, trying to intervene, but Elena spoke up again.

"When have I ever made a decision? You and Stefan do that for me but this, this is my decision."

"Whose gonna save your life while you're making decisions?" Damon pointed out.

"You're not listening to me, Damon. I don't want to be saved." Elena told him. "Not if it means that Klaus is gonna kill every single person that I love."

"This isn't going to work, Damon. I've tried to get through to her." Lexi told him. "Using force isn't going to work, at all. She's too determined."

"So what are we supposed to do now?"

"Hey, it's not my fault she's got a martyr complex." She protested. "Besides, she's almost exactly like your brother."

Back in the tomb, Bonnie was working on the spell. Katherine was awake, with Anna standing between her and Jeremy. Jeremy was pressed against the wall so Katherine couldn't sneak up behind them this time. "Bonnie no! You have to stop her, she's not strong enough!"

"Maybe she is." Katherine said. Anna could feel the barrier weaken, but she could tell Bonnie wouldn't last much longer.

"You got to stop her." Jeremy said.

"Shut up."

"You shut up, you evil moron." Anna told her. "It's thanks to you we're in this stupid position to begin with."

"You're the ones who locked me in here, remember?"

"Cause you threatened our friends, nearly killed their aunt, and probably would've killed the rest of the group." Anna pointed out. "And on top of all that, all of us are still in danger because of you were stupid enough to run!"

Suddenly, Bonnie passed out. Stefan ran over to her side. "Bonnie! Bonnie, wake up please."

"Yes please because I'm still in here!"  
Anna pushed her back with her powers. Katherine fell against the wall opposite of them. She moved to get up, but Anna kept her there.

"Are you okay?" Stefan asked as soon as Bonnie opened her eyes.

"It didn't work. I'm not strong enough. Even with help I can't do it." Bonnie said. Suddenly, Anna released Katherine and she was able to stand up.

"What did you do that for?" Jeremy asked.

"My powers…they're affecting me." Anna told him. She turned to him and he got a good look at her. He could practically see right through her, literally. "She was right. If I use too much of it at once before I'm ready…"

"You might disappear." Katherine took a step toward her, but Anna tried to use her invisible barrier. It worked for a second, throwing her off.

"Anna, stop! You can't risk this. We all need you." Bonnie looked at them, and headed toward the tomb, but she was still weak from the spell.

"You have to get out of here while I can still keep this up." Anna told him. Jeremy was hesitant. Suddenly, she lost the barrier and froze in shock.

"Anna…"

"Guys!" Anna called. Suddenly, Jeremy was out of the tomb. He looked around, but Anna wasn't there anymore.

"Anna?"

"I think she went back to the other side." Bonnie said, holding him. She looked up and saw that Stefan was in the tomb now. "We should get you out of here." She carried Jeremy out of the tomb.

Lexi re appeared in Slater's apartment, only to find Elena and Damon the only ones there. Then she noticed a bunch of bodies on the ground. "What the heck happened here?"

"Elijah happened." Damon told her. "Apparently, the not so dead Original showed up here, killed these guys when they came for Elena, oh, yeah, and your BFF ditched us the second he showed up."

"We better get out of here." Lexi said. Elena nodded, still shaken by what just happened.

Back at the Gilbert's house, Jeremy and Bonnie went into the kitchen. Jeremy went to get ice for the bite he received when Katherine sneak attacked them. "I'm home, okay? I don't need an escort to my room."

"I don't know. Between here and upstairs there's still time for you to do something stupid." Bonnie told him.

"I already feel bad. I don't need you to bread me." Jeremy said.

"Stefan is stuck in there and I don't know how to get him out. What should I be doing?"

"You should admit that you never should have tried this in the first place."

"I didn't have a choice, Jeremy!"

"Yeah, neither did I." Jeremy said. "How was I supposed to know Anna's powers would weaken like that?"

"Why did you two even have to get involved?" Bonnie asked.

"Because I didn't want you to get hurt, and she wasn't going to let me go alone." Jeremy said. "I couldn't stand it if you got hurt, though."

"Look Jeremy… you can't feel that way about me." Bonnie told him.

"Don't."

"What?"

"Don't act like this is one sided and like I'm some kid that has a crush on his sister's friend. You could have died today." Jeremy pointed out.

"And you almost did." Bonnie said.

"That was a chance I'm willing to take." He told her. He started to get closer to her.

"I can't… I can't. I'm sorry." Bonnie said. She headed out of the house.

"Why are you denying it?" She looked and saw that Anna was back. "I can tell you like him."

"Look, I can't take the chance that he might get killed. It was stupid of him to get involved in the first place."

"Well, once you know about the supernatural, it's kinda hard to stay out of it." Anna told her. "Anyway, it's obvious you like him, too."

"I can't do this." Bonnie said. "It's people like him that we're trying to protect. Besides, he's probably got a crush on you or something." She looked surprised when she realized what she just said.

"Bonnie, there's nothing to worry about. Yeah, I like Jeremy, he's a great friend, but he needs to be with someone alive." Anna told her. "Despite the fact that we have a connection, I would never hold him back from living his life. Ghosts are supposed to help people, not hold them back. Well, the good ones, anyway."

"What are we going to tell the others about…" Bonnie asked.

"Just leave that to me." Anna said. "You should probably go. I'm going to go check in on him." She faded and Bonnie left the house, thinking about what she said.

A few minutes later, Elena, Damon, and Lexi showed up outside. "Thank you for bringing me home." Elena told him.

"Well, you ride left you. I didn't want to leave you stranded." Damon pointed out.

"She was just scared. She didn't mean to run."

"Yes she did. She's been running for five hundred years."

"What do you expect? The Originals have been after her for five hundred years." Lexi pointed out. "She wouldn't have abandoned us if one of them hadn't shown up."

"How can you be so sure?" Damon asked her.

"Rose is my friend and she's got a good heart. She would never do something like that unless she felt threatened."

"I can't believe Elijah is alive. Why do you think he killed those two vampires and just let us go?" Elena asked.

"If I had a dollar for every time some evil vampire surprises me…" Damon said. "What you did today was incredibly stupid."

"Actually the only thing that was stupid was that I got caught." Elena told him. "I don't question why you and Stefan and everyone else try so hard to save me. You shouldn't question why I would try to save all of you."

"I know you mean well, but dying isn't going to solve everything." Lexi said. "What if he decides to kill everyone after he's done with you? What then?"

Suddenly, the door opened and the group saw Jeremy. "What?"

"It's Stefan." Jeremy told them.

At the tomb, Anna heard Elena head in. She came out just in time to see Damon practically slam her into a wall. "Damon…"

"It's been a really bad day for him." Lexi told her, appearing next to her.

"Stefan's in here, Damon! How could you let this happen?" Elena yelled at him.

"What are you talking about? I was too busy saving you from your crazy kamikaze mission." He pointed out. Anna glanced back and knew the others were listening in.

"You didn't have to go after the moonstone in the first place!"

"It was the right call, Elena!"

"The right call? How would any of this be the right call?" Elena pointed out. "Damon, let go of me!"

"Seriously, this is no way to treat a lady." Lexi ran over to intervene. "Really, don't make me separate you two."

"Lexi, enough." Anna said. "Come on, Elena." She led her out of the tomb.

Lexi turned and saw Stefan in the tomb. Damon walked over to the edge.

"Of all idiot plans, Stefan."

"We'll figure something out." Lexi told him.

"No it's alright. Bonnie has the moonstone. Work with her. Try to figure out how to dispel it." Stefan told them. Anna returned a few minutes later.

"You martyr yourself into a tomb and I've got to partner with a semi competent witch? Wonderful." Damon said.

"Hey, we'll keep an eye on him." Anna said. "Make sure Katherine doesn't try anything, you know?"

"I'm with her on this." Lexi said.

"Keep Elena away from here." Stefan told them.

"Yeah 'cause that will be easy…" Damon said.

"Promise me. No matter what happens, you'll protect her." Stefan said.

"I promise." Damon said.

"You know we'll do whatever we can." Anna told him. "Right?" Lexi nodded. Damon left the tomb and Anna faded away shortly after, leaving Stefan alone with Lexi as Katherine came over.

"That's the biggest mistake that you've made." Lexi restrained herself from slapping her, not like it'd do any good since Katherine couldn't see her anyway. Stefan looked over at her.

"I know they'll be okay." Lexi told him. He believed her.

**A/N: Okay, Jeranna fans, please don't be angry with me for what Anna told Bonnie. At some point, Anna and Jeremy will try to see if they have feelings for each other, just not at this moment, since she's obviously convinced that ghosts and humans can't be anything more than friends for now. May change in a later chapter. Anyway, please be kind and review, but no flames.**


	18. Chapter 18

Anna was out in the hall, listening in to Bonnie and Elena's conversation. "Right now it's what is binding the sun and the moon curse. If I can figure out a way to remove the spell from the stone, the stone becomes useless." Bonnie was saying.

"And according to Katherine, Klaus becomes vengeful." Elena said.

"Eavesdropping again?" Jeremy asked. Anna turned around, surprised. "I didn't think ghosts scared so easily."

"You startled me, that's all." Anna said.

"How's it going?"

"They're on opposite sides. I want to believe that Elena's right, but I get the feeling we're all going about this the wrong way." Anna told him. She heard the girls talking again.

"Don't listen to him. He thinks that he's protecting me but he's wrong." Elena said.

"I'm taking Stefan's side with this one. We're not gonna let you get used in some creepy sacrifice ritual." Bonnie told her. Jeremy went into Elena's room then. After they'd both left, Anna went inside.

"You don't need to do this, you know." Anna told her.

"I can't just let the rest of my family die, Anna." Elena said. "I thought you of all people would understand that."

"It's just been me and my mother for so long, though." Anna said. "She was pretty much the only family I had, and now she's missing. Don't think for one second I don't understand. But giving up your life to save them is never a good idea. You're the ones who taught me that." She walked into the hallway and disappeared before Bonnie or Jeremy could see her.

In the tomb, Anna wondered where the others were. "Come to check in on your friend?"

"You know, if I didn't know Lexi was standing nearby, I'd probably be scared right now." Anna said. Katherine turned around, confused. "Just as I thought. You really can't see her, can you?" She moved closer to the entrance where the guys were.

"I was wondering where you were." Damon said, noticing her.

"I checked in on Elena." Anna told them. "It seems pretty serious."

"Don't worry, she can't leave the house." Damon said. "Bonnie spelled it."

"You guys locked her in there?" Stefan asked.

"We had no choice. She's too determined." Anna told him. "And speaking of determined…

"You know, you guys are surprisingly calm considering Klaus will hunt you down and kill you if you mess with his little plan." Katherine said.

"I've been dead before. I got over it." Damon told her. He turned to Stefan "Once we deal with this moonstone, we'll figure a way to get you out."

"Don't worry about me. Just make sure Elena's safe." Stefan said.

"I know she'd want one of us to stay with you in case she…" Anna glanced over at Katherine. "Tried anything."

A few hours later, Anna was sitting with him in the tomb. "So, how's Elena doing, anyway?"

"She's probably really mad cause she can't leave the house." Anna said. "No offense or anything, but I think Damon and Bonnie's plan was a little overboard."

"Oh, come on. You know what my brother's like."

"Unfortunately." Anna looked at him. "But I think you can trust him when it comes to protecting her."

"Before or after he falls for her?" Katherine asked.

"Excuse me, this is a private conversation." Anna said. "Reserve your eavesdropping for when Klaus shows up or whatever."

"I'm surprised you can even stay on this plane given what happened the other day."

"Maybe you don't know as much about ghosts as you thought." Anna told her.

"Oh? Like what?" Katherine asked, as though she was challenging her.

"Like the fact that you're trying to get into Stefan's dreams but can't." Anna said.

"How did you…"

"Did you know that ghosts can put up a barrier to prevent people like you from manipulating someone's thoughts or subconscious?" Anna asked. Katherine looked at her, for once not saying anything.

"I had no idea you could do that." Stefan said.

"Comes in handy a lot. Sometimes I use in when I check in on Jeremy or Bonnie." Anna said. Then, she felt something. She turned to the side, as though she was silently communicating with another ghost that they couldn't see.

"What is it?" Stefan asked.

"Elena's calling me." Anna said. "I have no idea how that's possible, but I know she needs my help."

"Go. I can handle her on my own." Anna nodded, then disappeared.

At the Gilbert's House, Elena went downstairs to find Jenna looking in the closet.

"Hey, what are you doing?"

"Perfect timing." Jenna handed her a box.

"What is this stuff?" Elena asked, setting it down.

"Your mom's file from the historical society. I got roped into helping Mrs. Lockwood and by roped, I mean very excited to participate." Jenna explained. She closed the door. Elena was surprised to find Elijah behind it.

"Hey, I'm Elijah."

"Elijah is in town doing research on Mystic Falls." Jenna told her.

"It's a pleasure."

"So you're welcome to stay here and rummage through this stuff or Elena and I could help you load it into our car." Jenna told him.

"Or I can get someone to pick it up tomorrow."

"Also a good plan."

"Thank you so much for inviting me into your home, Jenna." Elijah said. "And Elena, I hope to see you again sometime soon." He left the room.

Elena ran upstairs, thinking about Anna on her way to Jeremy's room. She knocked on the door, only for someone to catch her wrist. She noticed it was Elijah.

"What is it?" Elena looked around and saw Elijah had disappeared.

"Jenna was just asking me to get you help her with the boxes."

"Okay." Jeremy headed downstairs.

"Close one, huh?" Elena heard Anna say as soon as Jeremy was out of the hallway. "What's…" Then she noticed Elijah. "Oh. That explains things."

"It's a wise choice."

"What do you want?" Elena asked him.

"I think it's time you and I have a little chat." Elijah told her.

"I'm not going to let you be with him alone." Anna said. Elena turned to her.

A few minutes later, the three of them were in Elena's room. "Forgive the intrusion. I mean your family no harm." Elijah said.

"Why did you kill those vampires when they tried to take me?" Elena asked.

"Because I didn't want you to be taken. Klaus is the most feared and hated of the originals but those who fear him are desperate for his approval." Elijah explained. "If the word gets out that the doppelganger exists there'll be a line of vampires eager to take you to him and I can't have that." Anna seemed surprised by this.

"Isn't that exactly what you're trying to do?" Elena asked.

"Let's just say that my goal is not to break the curse."

"So what is your goal?" Elena and Anna asked at the same time. Elena looked at Anna.

"Right, sometimes I forget only a few of you can see and hear me." Anna said.

"Klaus's obsession has made him paranoid. He's a recluse. He trusts only those in his immediate circle." Elijah said.

"Like you?"

"Not anymore."

"You don't know where he is, do you? So you're trying to use me to draw him out." Elena said.

"That is so wrong." Anna said.

"Well, to do that I need you to stay put and stop trying to get yourself killed."

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Elena asked. She turned to Anna.

"I can't read him." Anna said. "It's like running into a brick wall. The Originals are stronger than normal vampires, they're too hard to read."

"If I wasn't being trustful, your family would be dead and I'd be taking you to Klaus right now." Elijah said. "Instead, I'm here and I'm preparing to offer you a deal."

"Careful. Making a deal with a vampire's like making a deal with the devil." Anna said. Elena gave her a look that said, yeah, now you tell me.

"What kind of a deal?" She asked, wanting to stay on the cautious side.

"Do nothing. Do nothing, live your life, stop fighting and then, when the time is right, you and I should drop Klaus to get out and I should make sure your friends remain unharmed." Elijah said.

"And then what?" Elena asked.

"Then I kill him."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. I'm a man of my word, Elena." Elijah told her. "I make a deal, I keep a deal."

"How are you gonna be able to keep everybody safe?"

"I notice you have a friend Bonnie, is it? She seems to possess the gift of magic. I have friends with similar gifts." Elijah said. Anna didn't like the sound of that.

"You know witches."

"Together we can protect you and everybody that matters to you. So do we have a deal?"

"I wouldn't listen to him, Elena." Anna said. "How do you know he won't betray you?"

"I don't, but I can't just let Klaus kill everyone around me." Elena whispered to her. She turned to Elijah. "I need you to do one more thing for me."

"You're negotiating now?"

"What are you doing?" Anna asked her.

"Will you trust me on this?" Elena asked. Elijah looked at her. "Sorry. Lately, it seems I've been being haunted by spirits."

"Yeah, real nice save, Lena." Anna said. She decided to go back to the tomb and see how Stefan was holding up.

When she arrived, they were talking. "We could talk about how you regret all you've done to make my life miserable."

"What do you want me to say, Stefan? That I'm sorry for everything that I've done? Well I'm not, okay? It's called self-preservation. I've been looking out for myself for five hundred years." Katherine told him.

"Look where it has gotten you."

"Yes, I've done terrible things. I know that but I do love you, Stefan. Even if you don't believe it."

"How can someone cold-hearted like you even know love?" Anna asked.

"Looks like the ghost's back." Katherine said, turning to face her. "But even you know that all vampires were once human. I thought I was in love before I turned, then I learned how the world really is." Anna looked at her in disbelief.

"You want me to believe you? Show me. Do something. Prove to me that there's something inside of you that's actually worst."

"And then what? You'll still hate me."

"Maybe and maybe I'll see that there's still hope for you after all."

"You're playing me." Katherine said.

"Am I?"

"You want to find Klaus? Kill him so that you can protect your precious Elena?" Katherine asked.

"We all want him dead for that reason." Anna said. "Stefan's not the only one who cares about her, you know."

"Yeah, but you know this isn't going to end well for any of us." Katherine said.

"Let me guess: you know where he is." Stefan said.

"No, I don't, but I could help you find him." Katherine told them.

"For a price I'm sure."

"Yeah, thanks, but…"

"Let's start with Isobel, Elena's mother. She was a research expert." Katherine pointed out. "She found me." They both looked at her. "You're welcome." Just then, they heard the tomb door opening. They all looked at each other.

"I think I should go." Anna told them. "See you guys."

"What kind of ghost is afraid of someone?" Katherine commented as she started fading.

"Shut up. You have no idea what to expect." Anna managed to get out as she disappeared from view.

She found herself back at Elena's house. "Hey, is everything okay?" Jeremy asked her.

"Yeah, I think so." Anna said.

"What was up with Elena earlier?"

"Nothing. You're sister's fine, Jer." Anna told him. "She probably just got spooked or something."

"Well, considering all the supernatural stuff…" Anna motioned for him to be quiet.

"You're aunt's in the hall." She explained. "I'm going to check on Elena." She went into Elena's room and joined her at the window.

"How's everything going?" Elena asked.

"It's fine." Anna said. "Though someone came to the tomb…" Then she realized something. "Did you have anything to do with that?"

"Maybe." Elena said.

"Jeremy was worried about you."

"I know. Things have been a little complicated with us lately."

"I think he's lucky to have you for a sister." Anna said. "I never had any siblings, at least, none that I knew of."

"Do you guys ever get lonely? I mean, in the spirit world?"

"Not really. It's kinda like this weird sense of family, almost. It's like we practically all know each other at first glance." Anna told her.

"I'm sure she's there somewhere, Anna." Elena said, remembering how she'd lost her mother a few months ago.

"You're thinking about Miranda, aren't you?"

"Sometimes I'd be sitting here, writing, and she'd watch from the door. At least when I was little." Elena explained. "It's hard to believe she's gone sometimes."

"I'm sure she's looking out for you, Elena." Anna said. "The thing with spirits, is they always watch over their family and friends."

"I had a feeling about that." Elena said. She sighed and looked out the window. Then she noticed Stefan's reflection and turned around.

"You got out?" Anna asked him.

"Yeah, looks like they broke the spell." He told her. Elena got up and ran into his arms.

Anna went into the hallway and started to fade. "Hey," She turned and saw Jeremy. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah. She's in good hands now." Anna told him. "Just…give her some space, okay?" She disappeared, leaving Jeremy in the hall for a few minutes before he went back to his room.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N:** First, sorry for the late update. It's just, so much has been going on in my life, but I have not given up on this story. I've skipped to 2x13 because although I'd planned to do 2x12, I couldn't handle it. For this chapter, two new ghosts show up. Anyway, on with the story.**

A few days later, the guys were talking. Apparently, John was back in town.

"You brought back John Gilbert? That was your big save Elena move?" Damon asked.

"I went to go look for Isobel and I get John instead. He said he can help us and we're desperate." Stefan said.

"We're not that desperate, Stefan. The guy tried to barbecue me!"

"Damon, Bonnie's new witch friend is working with Elijah so we have to assume that the moonstone was never destroyed. Elena is putting all of her faith into some deal that she made with Elijah to keep everyone safe. I mean, do you trust Elijah? I don't trust him. He's an original, he can't be trusted. It's not like we can just go up and kill him because apparently he can't die!"

"I'm still waiting for the part where John Gilbert is the answer." Damon said.

"He knew about the sacrifice. Isobel told him. He said he know of a way to keep Elena safe." Stefan explained.

"And how do we do that?"

"He's not talking. At least not to me anyway."

"Great work Stefan. Top notch. As if I didn't have enough problems."

"Hey, I'm sorry about Rose." Stefan told him.

"Whatever. I knew the woman for five minutes." Damon said.

"And you cared about her after five minutes."

"And you two don't have to talk about me like I'm not here." A familiar accent said. They both looked around. "I'm behind you." Damon turned and looked surprised.

"You're here?"

"Wait, how did you…"

"I didn't." Rose told them. "But as long as you're keeping me safe, there's a good shot I'll be back."

"Are you just here to say hi or…"

"I'm going to help you guys out." Rose said. "And if you ever need to reach me, you know how to."

"Okay, I have to go meet with Caroline." Stefan left the room.

"I'm sorry about this." Damon told her.

"It wasn't you're fault, Damon. Wolves tend to look after their own." Rose said. "No matter what happens, I'll come back."

"I'll hold you to that, Rosie." Damon told her. Rose went over to him and kissed him. When he opened his eyes, she had disappeared.

Meanwhile, Tyler was in his father's office. Then he noticed Stefan in the room and started to leave. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just wanna talk." Stefan told him.

"Then why'd you break in?" Tyler asked.

"Would you have let me in otherwise?" Stefan pointed out.

"Tyler?" They heard Mrs. Lockwood call. "Tyler, I'm leaving for the memorial." As soon as she was gone, Stefan let go of Tyler.

"Maybe we got off on the wrong foot here."

"What happened to Mason?" Tyler asked.

"Tyler, there's a lot for us to talk about." Stefan said. He started to leave, but Stefan stopped him. "I wouldn't do that. Without a full moon, you're not a match for me."

"Just listen to him, Ty. It wasn't his fault." Tyler turned around. He saw Mason standing there.

"Mason? How…"

"I don't know how long I'm here for, but for now, I need you to listen to him." Mason said.

At the Grill, Elena and Damon found John. "We just need answers. Please don't do anything stupid."

"Yeah, but stupid is so much more fun."

"Damon, I mean it." Elena said.

"John, buddy, how have you been?"

"I've been alright, Damon. It's good to see you." John said.

"There's no way this can end well." Rose said. Elena looked at her, surprised.

"How can I see you?" Elena asked.

"I don't know."

Back at Tyler's, he was listening to Stefan. He knew Mason was still there. "Look, about Caroline, no matter what her flaws are, if an issue comes you'll want to have that girl on your side . She's your friend, stop being a dick to her." Stefan told him.

"I thought vampires hated werewolves." Tyler said.

"That's some sort of leftover idea from another time. It doesn't have to be that way anymore. We go to the same school. We have the same friends. We keep the same secrets. This can work, Tyler. I mean, it's your home, it's my home too. I want this to work." Stefan explained.

"He's right, man. It's because of this stupid feud that I'm like this." Mason told him. "Look, I'm sorry about the whole mess, but Caroline seems like a great girl and no stupid feud is a reason to throw you're friendship with her away."

"But, because of them…"

"The Salvatores had nothing to do with it." Mason told him. "I was stupid." Tyler's phone rang. "Careful. Don't let her know what's going on." Tyler looked at the phone. Sure enough, it was Jules.

At the Grill, Damon went over to talk with John. "So John, rumor has it that you know a lot and won't say anything." He pointed out.

"How I know you can be trusted, Damon?" John said. "Originals can compel vampires and according to Stefan, that's why Katherine's still in the tomb, because an original has compel her to stay there."

"Only because all of the vervain have left her system. Stefan and I on the other hand are chock full."

"You guys are drinking vervain?"

"It's an acquired taste. I don't see that magic little ring on that stitched finger so if you know something about Klaus, you better start talking or I will kill you in your sleep."

"Is that any way to convince me that you and I are on the same side?" John pointed out. "First, I need to know that I can trust you, Damon, that I can count on you. Then we'll talk." He left him standing there.

"Okay, clearly you've forgotten the rules here." Rose said, appearing next to him. "If you guys need his help, death threats are not the answer."

"Now you tell me."

Back at the Lockwood house, Tyler was sitting down. "I guess I misjudged the situation. Whatever happened, it wasn't really you're fault."

"Yeah. So, friends?"

"Guess so." Suddenly, Stefan's phone rang.

"Hey, is everything okay?" He asked.

"That depends. How about you want to keep her alive?" Jules asked him

"Who is this? Jules? Where's Caroline?" Tyler looked up, concerned.

"You made a mistake, Stefan. I gonna give you a chance to fix it."

"Where is she?"

"Sounds like some of my pack members caught her." Mason told him.

"Hurt her again and you're dead." Stefan said into the phone.

"I hurt her again and she's dead. Bring Tyler to me, the clearing by Wickery falls. You have twenty minutes until she dies." Jules told him.

"What are they going to do to her?"

"They're going to torture her or worse, finish her off." Mason said. "If you care about her, you're going to have to team up to save her. I'll see you guys there."

"Alright." Stefan said. "We better go, now."

At the Grill, Elena and Damon were talking in the bathrooms. "Why am I just finding out about this now?"

"Stefan was worried that you…" Elena began.

"That I'll what? That I'd kill him? Of course, it's what needs to happen." Damon said.

"No Damon, not Tyler. Do whatever you need to do to get Caroline back but just leave Tyler out of it, okay?" Elena pleaded.

"Why? He's a werewolf, he needs to die. I'm willing to kill him, it's win-win."

"He's also one of her friends, are you forgetting that?" Rose pointed out. "From what I know of this, he's not like them. Besides, it's not Tyler's fault that I'm…you know."

"Well, we have to do something. Jules has Caroline and wants to trade for him." Damon said. "If not, she's dead."

"So what do we do?" Elena asked. Just then, John entered the room.

"Do you mind?" Damon asked him.

"What's going on?" John asked them.

"Nothing." Elena told him.

"It doesn't look like nothing."

"Well guess what John, trust works both ways. Get out." Damon said.

"Look, we don't have time for this. We need to get Caroline back." Elena pointed out.

"We don't have to do anything. I'll take care of it." Damon said. He turned to John. "First dad duty: ground your daughter. Keep her here."

"You can't just go off alone."

"I'll keep an eye on him." Rose told her. John looked in her direction just as she disappeared.

"I have to help them."

"I'm with Damon on this one. Besides, it seems your ghost friend can handle it." Elena looked at him in shock.

"How did you…" Elena began, then remembered what Anna had said about few humans having the ability to see them. "You're a mediator?"

"Not everyone in the family gets it, though there's usually a few of us, like Jeremy."

Jules was waiting in the woods, when she heard something. "I know you're out there." Stefan and Tyler showed up.

"Where's Caroline?" Stefan asked.

"Locked up tight." She told him.

"Let her go and I release Tyler. The situation doesn't have to get any messier than it already has. I'm not your enemy, Jules." Stefan told her.

"It's a little late to be waving the white flag, don't you think?" Jules asked him.

"You need to leave town. No one else has to get hurt." Stefan said.

"I'm not leaving without Tyler."

"Tyler is free to make his own decisions as soon as you release Caroline." He told her.

"My brother the peacemaker." They turned around as Damon showed up. "Since Stefan got here before me I'm gonna let him try to his way before I resort to my way, which is a little bloodier. So give us Caroline."

"Let go of Tyler." Jules demanded.

"Give us Caroline. Without a full moon it's not an even fight and you know it." Damon pointed out. "We will take you."

"I'm not so sure about that, tough guy." Jules said. She whistled and the rest of her friends showed up, armed with weapons. "Let's try this again. Give us Tyler."

Damon turned to him. "You heard her. Go. Get over there." He said. Tyler reluctantly went over to Jules' side.

"Which one of you killed Mason?" One of the pack members asked.

"Uh, that'd be me." Damon admitted.

"Boys, make sure that one suffers."

"We can take them."

"I don't know about that." Stefan told him. Damon sped over toward Jules, but she jumped on top of the RV. While the group started fighting, Tyler ran inside.

He found Caroline locked up in a cage. "Tyler, there's a latch on the door and I can't get to it." She told him. He was hesitant for a moment. "Tyler?" He moved toward the cage and helped got her out.

Outside, the guys were starting to struggle against the werewolves. One of them tried to attack Damon, but got thrown back. The guys looked to find Rose helping them. Caroline stepped out, but Jules pushed her against the RV. Tyler stepped out and looked at her, not sure of what to do. Then…

"Everybody stop!" Tyler, Jules, Caroline, Damon, Stefan, and the rest of Jules' pack froze where they were and looked to find Mason addressing them.

"Mason?" Jules asked.

"Let the girl go. She has nothing to do with this." He told them.

"She's a vampire." One of the others protested.

"She's innocent." Mason told them. "She's been nothing but a friend to my nephew here. She helped him get through his first transformation, despite the fact he could've killed her. So let her go, let them all go. So help me, if any of you try to force Tyler to join your pack, you'll regret it."

"Mason…" Tyler began as he started to fade.

"Don't worry about it. I'll show up whenever you need me." He told him. Jules released Caroline, then the four of them left the woods.

Damon headed back to the Boarding House and found Rose. "You're still here?"

"Have you forced me to leave?" She pointed out.

"Hey, thanks for the back-up back there."

"No problem." Rose told him. "I'd never leave you in trouble." They looked at each other for a moment.

Stefan walked Caroline back home. "So is your mom home?" He asked as they reached her door.

"No, she's at work." Caroline told him.

"I can come in if you want me to."

"I'm fine, Stefan."

"You don't have to pretend with me. Anybody would be upset after what you went through tonight." Stefan told her.

"I'm okay. I'm not girly little Caroline anymore. I can handle myself."

"Sure you can."

"I just really want to go shower so…"

"Okay."

"Good night."

"Good night." Caroline went inside and closed the door. A few minutes later, she heard someone knock on the door. She found Tyler outside.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked.

"I'm fine." Caroline told him.

"I had no idea they would come for you." He told her.

"Do you know what they did to me?" Caroline asked.

"I'm sorry about them." She turned, surprised to find Mason there. "My friends really don't like vampires. This whole mess, it wasn't Ty's fault."

"I'm sorry, too." Tyler said. "I know it's crazy, but I thought they may have known about him. And you lied."

"To protect my friends. And you." Caroline pointed out.

"I understand that." Tyler said.

"Look, it's been a really bad day." Caroline said. "Could you please leave me alone for a while?"

"Yeah." Tyler said. He touched her cheek. "I really am sorry, okay?" He left the house.

"Hey, you'll get through this, man." Mason told him.

"You think so?"

"You two are friends. Trust me, we all have our moments like that." Tyler smiled.

"Thanks for helping us out."

"Anytime, man." Mason said.

**A/N: What did you think? Looks like Anna and Lexi aren't the only ones helping Team Mystic Falls these days. **


	20. Chapter 20

At the Grill, Bonnie was talking with Caroline. Anna was right next to her. Rose and Lexi had filled her in on what had happened with the wolf incident and Elena's get away. Apparently, Lexi had been watching. "Okay, So tell me about this big witchy plan you've been cooking up." Caroline said.

"We still don't know the extent of what Elijah's up to."

"No, we don't." Caroline said.

"So I'm gonna ask Luka to tell me what he knows." Bonnie said.

"And he's not gonna tell you anything."

"I didn't say he was gonna have a choice."

"Are you sure about that, Bonnie? It could be kinda risky." Anna told her.

"I know, but we don't know if Elena's in trouble or not, so it's the best way I could think of." Bonnie said.

"Okay, but I'm going to have to stay hidden. I'm not sure those Martin wit…I mean, 'warlocks'" she air quoted. "Can see me, and I don't want them too." Bonnie nodded in her direction, understanding.

A few minutes later, Jeremy, Caroline, and Anna were watching Bonnie and Luka talk. "How's it going?" Jeremy asked.

"She's selling it, and he's buying it." Caroline said. "She's giving him the sex smile."

"All right, Caroline. I get it."

"You sound jealous." Anna said. Jeremy looked at her.

"I am not…"

"You might wanna get ready to catch him." Anna told him. "He's about to faint."

The group moved over to Bonnie's side immediately. Jeremy caught him.

A few hours later, they were in Caroline's  
living room. "This place is kinda nice." Anna said.

"Yeah, it's too bad she can't hear you." Jeremy pointed out. Caroline showed up, carrying a lot of candles.

"We only have, like, an hour or two before my mom gets home and these are all I could find." She told them.

"Place these evenly around the room." Bonnie told the others. Jeremy and Caroline set up the candles, while Anna sat next to Bonnie. She looked at the warlock on the ground.

"You sure this'll work?" Anna asked.

"I hope so, Anna." Bonnie told her.

"How does this work?" Jeremy asked.

"I'll put him in a trance and ask him questions. It's like hypnosis." Bonnie said.

"You sure you're strong enough for this?" Jeremy asked.

"That's what the candles are for. I'll draw power from the flames."

"Is it weird that I hate fire?" Anna asked.

"You don't like fire?" Jeremy asked her.

"Never did."

"I'll get the matches." Caroline said.

"I got it." Bonnie lit them with her powers. Anna nearly jumped.

"Never gonna get used to that." Jeremy said.

"Oh, come on. That's pretty hot, and you know it." Caroline said.

"Well, what do you expect? Witches are really strong with the elements." Anna pointed out.

"I need a bowl of water." Bonnie said, trying to get a break from the tension. Jeremy left the room. "Okay. What was that?" She asked Caroline. "It's hot"?

"He is so crushing on you." Caroline said.

"So?"

"So… What, you'd rather be with traitor warlock over here?"

"I'm not into Luka. It's just, you know, he understood me, and he was new and different." Bonnie told her.

"Not to mention kinda creepy." Anna added. Bonnie looked at her. "Hey, I'm sorry, the kid creeps me out."

"And you've known Jeremy since forever, and you only see him one way, as Elena's brother," Caroline said. "but you're a witch, and I'm a vampire. You know, it's not like we're in any position…"

"to be picky"

"No, to judge."

In the other room, Anna found Jeremy. "Hey. Bonnie's doing okay out there." Anna said.

"I know."

"Look, Jer, I've spoken with her before." Anna said. "She's been fighting her feelings…"

"Because to her I'm just Elena's little brother." Jeremy said. "I know that."

"No, she does feel something for you, Jeremy. She just won't admit it." Anna said. "And she thinks we're together."

"What gave her that idea?" Jeremy asked.

"Probably cause you were the first one to see me and probably because of our bond or connection or whatever." Anna said. "Look, let's just get out there." They headed back into the living room.

A few minutes later, Bonnie managed to question Luka with no problems. The group found out they were helping Elijah because Klaus took his sister.

"And how do you kill Klaus? How do you kill an Original vampire?" Bonnie asked.

"He'll kill me if I tell you. Don't make me." Luka said.

"It's ok, Bonnie. We can find another way." Jeremy told her.

"No. How will you kill Klaus?" Bonnie said.

"Bonnie…" Anna began, when Luka spoke up again.

"After the sacrifice, Klaus will be vulnerable, weak. It's our only chance."

"After the sacrifice?" Caroline asked.

"What do you mean, after?" Bonnie asked

"He means that this was all for nothing." Anna said. "Elena will still be sacrificed in order to help stop him."

"No way." Jeremy said.

"I'm going to find her." Anna said. "We don't know if she knows."

"So, what's going on?" Caroline asked.

"Anna said Elijah's plan still involves Elena in the sacrifice." Jeremy told her.

"Oh, no."

At the lake house, Elena was inside, waiting for Stefan to get back with the firewood. It was taking a long time, though. She grabbed a weapon and headed outside. "Stefan, what are you doing out there?"

"Elena…" She heard someone say, but had no time to figure out who was there, as someone tried to grab her. She stabbed him in the arm, then ran into the house and locked the door.

She was hiding in her parents' bedroom when Anna appeared. "I can see we're a little busy with a werewolf problem here." Elena looked at her. "I think I can slow him down long enough for you to get out of here."

The guy entered the room, but didn't see her. When he turned around, Elena shoved a stake at him and ran. She kept running until she was outside. When he tried to follow, Anna used her powers to keep him back, giving Stefan enough time to end him.

Elena ran over to them. "Thanks, guys."

"I'm just glad you're okay." Stefan said, holding her in his arms. Anna smiled, then noticed another figure nearby.

"Tyler?" Elena asked.

"I didn't know what they were gonna do to you." He explained. "I just... I didn't want to be like this anymore. I'm sorry, Elena."

"It's okay." She said, hugging him.

"She's got a really big heart." Anna said.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Stefan asked her.

"I found out some bad news." Anna explained. "I wanted to warn you two before it was too late." She quickly explained what they found out from Luka.

"Because it's the only time he'll be vulnerable." Anna finished.

"There has to be another way to do this."

"I can try asking the others. I'm sure they'll know something." Anna said.

"What about Elena?"

"When the time comes, we'll do whatever it takes to help." Anna said. "Look, I should get going, but I promise I'll be back when I can."

She returned to Caroline's house. "Should we wait for Caroline?" Jeremy was asking.

"She was just gonna drop Luka back at the Grill. Said to lock the door on our way out." Bonnie said.

"Yeah. Well, I hope she drops him hard." Jeremy said.

"You and me both, guys." Anna told them.

"Yeah." Jeremy turned to go.

"Bonnie, tell him already." Anna said.

"I…"

"Look, he's into you, okay?" Anna pointed out. "Unless you make it known, he'll be in the dark."

"Wait." Bonnie said. He turned around. "You're Elena's little brother, I've known you forever. You're that punk kid. I remember your awkward phase and then your emo phase, Your druggie phase and overnight, you turned into this hot guy who's really sweet and…"

"You think I'm hot?" Jeremy asked.

"My work here is done. For now." Anna said, disappearing in order to give them some privacy.


	21. Chapter 21

At the lake house, Elena was reading Jonathan Gilbert's journal as Stefan entered the room. "Are you still mad?"

"Yeah, I'm still mad."

"We had a difference of opinion, Stefan, we're not always gonna agree on everything." Elena told him.

"Elena, you've agreed to sacrifice yourself to Klaus. To say that we have a difference of opinion is the understatement of the century." Stefan told her.

"You would know." Elena said.

"What does Jonathan Gilbert have to say?" Stefan asked.

"A lot. It's insane the things he wrote in his journal that he kept from the founding families. Stuff that nobody knows. Stuff that... You never told me." Elena said.

"We were angry at the founding families for what they did to Katherine. We wanted revenge. I didn't know about Jonathan Gilbert's ring yet. I didn't know that he would... that he would survive." Stefan told her.

"He describes you as a monster."

"That's what I was. I want you to know the truth... But I want you to hear it from me." Stefan told her. "In the weeks after I became a vampire, I relished in it. I took it to the darkest place I could. I wasn't myself then. I was full of guilt. What I did to my father, to my brother. I had to turn it off. It was the only way I could survive."

"It sounds like you were Damon." Elena said, surprised by the fact.

"I was worse." Stefan said.

"That would be an understatement." They both turned around and saw that Lexi had materialized while they were talking.

"How did you know where we were?" Elena asked.

"Sometimes we can sense where are friends are, especially when we have a bond with someone." Lexi explained.

At the Grill, the others were talking about Elijah. "Other than the lecture on the history of Mystic Falls, did you get anything out of Elijah?" Damon asked.

"No, it was boring. Of course, Jenna thinks he's charming." Alaric said. Anna appeared next to him.

"You sounded jealous. Sound a bit jealous?"

"Kinda do." Andie agreed.

"Ugh. Can we please not talk about you're love lives?" Anna asked. Damon looked at her. Alaric looked next to him, but saw nothing.

"Ah, there's Jenna with her new boyfriend. Hi." Damon said. Sure enough, Jenna and Elijah showed up right then.

"Hey, guys." Jenna said.

"So I hear you two had quite a meeting of historical minds today." Damon said.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Well, as much as I'd love to continue this, I've got papers to grade." Alaric said, getting up.

"No, you know what? We should continue this. Let's have a dinner party." Andie suggested.

"Ooh, my girl. Full of good ideas. I'll be happy to host. Say tonight. Maybe?"

"It's good for me. Jenna?" Andie asked.

"I don't know if tonight works..." Alaric said.

"I'm free"

"It'd be a pleasure."

"Great."

"So this is you're plan?" Anna asked. "Invite him over so you can kill him with the dagger that John Gilbert gave you?" Damon looked in her direction and nodded.

"This is too weird. I'm not letting you out of my sight." Anna said, following him out of the Grill.

"Are you insane?" She asked when she met him in the woods. "Why in the world did you tell Katherine you're plan? She'll find a way to twist things, you know."

"Well, if all goes well, hopefully we won't hear from Katherine again." Damon told her.

"I still think it was stupid of you to tell her."

"Are you going to back me up on this plan or not?"

Back at the lake house, Stefan was talking with Elena. "For weeks I kept spiraling. I was completely driven by the desire for blood. Hunt, prey, kill. That was all I knew." Stefan told her.

"How come no one caught on to what you were doing?" Elena asked.

"There was a war going on. The thing about wartime. Endless, anonymous blood supply."

"Yeah, like you knew what you were really doing." Lexi said.

"Why are you still here?" Elena asked her. "Not to be rude, but…"

"Because I'm part of this story, too." Lexi explained. "This guy tried to hunt me down when I first got to Mystic Falls, but I was too strong for him."

"Wait, that's how you two met?" They both nodded. "What were you doing in Mystic Falls, anyway? After they rounded up the vampires?"

"I didn't know about it then." Lexi said.

"She needed a place to stay, so I brought her home with me." Stefan explained.

"When I saw what he was doing, I just knew I had to help him." Lexi said. "I ran into others like him before, but I knew this one would be more challenging." She bumped Stefan with her elbow.

"I can almost see why you two are best friends." Elena said.

At the Boarding House, everyone had shown up. Damon glanced around the room, but he didn't see Anna anywhere. She had promised to be there. "I hate to break it to you, Damon, but according to Elijah, your family is so not a founder of this town." Jenna said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Hmm, do tell."

"Well, as I mentioned to Jenna earlier, a faction of settlers migrated from Salem after the witch trials in the 1690s." Elijah explained. "Over the next hundred years they developed this community where they could feel safe from persecution."

"Because they were witches." Jenna said skeptically.

"Yeah, but there's no tangible proof there were witches in Salem." Andie pointed out.

"Andie's a journalist. Big on facts."

"Well, the lore says that there was this wave of anti-witch hysteria. It broke out in the neighboring settlement, so these witches were rounded up." Elijah continued."They were tied to stakes in a field together and, uh, burned. Some say you could hear the screams from miles around us. They were consumed by the fire."

"I wouldn't repeat this to the Historical Society." Jenna said.

"It's starting to sound a little like a ghost story to me." John said. For some reason, he'd decided to show up uninvited.

"Funny you should say that." Damon said, he glanced around again, but still no sign of Anna. "So why do you want to know the location of these alleged massacres?"

"You know... a healthy historian's curiosity, of course."

"Of course." He went into the hallway.

"I don't trust that Original creep." He turned in surprise.

"What are you doing out here?" Damon asked.

"John Gilbert's a mediator like Jeremy, he can see me." Anna explained. "So I decided to listen in from the hallway."

"We're going to take care of this."

"To be fair, I don't trust either of them." Anna said. "I'll meet you in the study. Something feels off about all of this."

A few minutes later, the guys headed into the study. "So, let me guess. In addition to the moonstone, the doppelganger, the lion, the witch and the wardrobe, you need to find this witch burial ground." Damon said.

"Because I feel as though we've grown so close, Damon, I'll tell you yes. Do you know where it is?" Elijah asked.

"Maybe. Tell me why it's so important."

"We're not that close." Elijah pointed out. Anna was watching silently from the couch.

"It's quite a collection you have here. It's a funny thing about books. Before they existed, people actually had memories."

"Yeah, well I've always been into reading." Anna said. Damon glanced at her. "Oops." Damon took the dagger out, but Alaric entered the room.

"Gentlemen, we forgot about dessert."

"What was all that about?" Anna asked. She saw the note Damon was holding. "Oh, that John Gilbert's such a jerk!"

"Relax, I can't use it, but a human can." Damon said.

"Just be careful." Anna told him. "We still need you around."

At the lake house, Elena was outside. Stefan was inside. "Just talk to her, Stefan." Lexi told him.

"She won't listen, no matter what."

"That's not true, and you know it." Lexi said. "We've got to convince her to keep fighting and I'll be with you." They headed outside.

"Elena, we need to talk about this." Stefan told her.

"What good is talking if you and Damon are just gonna lie to me? If you don't like my decisions, that's fine. There's nothing I can do about that but if you ever go behind my back again, I'll..." Elena began.

"You're gonna what? What are you gonna do, Elena?" Stefan asked.

"Okay, enough." Lexi said. "For the record, I didn't know about it either, but I agree with their plan, but not at the cost of another vampire."

"Look, guys, It's my life." Elena pointed out.

"Yeah, exactly. It's your life and I'm gonna do everything I can to make sure that you live it." Stefan said.

"Then what? This... this... this trip through the past. You being honest. Was there any truth to that or were you just distracting me?" Elena asked him.

"I was telling you about a time when I thought everything was lost. When I had given up because that's exactly what you're doing right now." Stefan answered.

"That is not what..." Elena began.

"Yes, it is! Even if you don't want to admit it. You are giving up... and Lexi? she wouldn't let me give up. I'm not gonna let you." Stefan said.

"Neither am I." Lexi said. "You are risking you're life to save you're friends and family, but you need to think of how that's going to effect them. What would happen if you went missing to them?"

"Look, I just don't see a way out of this." Elena told them.

"Lexi showed me that there was another way. And from that day forward, I started fighting for it. For my own survival. That's all I want you to do. I just want you to fight for it." Suddenly, Lexi disappeared. They both looked in her direction.

"What's going on?"

"She must be communicating with others like her." Stefan said. "Sometimes it disrupts the connection to this side."

Then Lexi showed up. "Guys, I just got a message from Anna. She was watching Elijah in the basement. He's on his way here now." The group looked at each other.

"Then we need a plan." Elena said.

A few minutes later, they heard a sound hitting the door of the lake house. "Yeah, that must be him." Lexi said.

"You have to go. I need to talk to him alone." Elena said.

"Elena..." Stefan said.

"Stefan, I'm ok. He can't come in the house." Elena pointed out.

"Trust her, you know the plan." Lexi pointed out. "I'll watch over her." She headed outside with Elena.

"They shouldn't have done what they did." Elena said.

"The deal is off." Elijah stated.

"I'm renegotiating."

"You have nothing left to negotiate with."

"I'd like to see you lure Klaus into Mystic Falls after the doppelganger bleeds to death." Lexi looked at Elena in shock, then remembered part of her plan.

"Stefan won't let you die." Elijah pointed out.

"No, he won't. He'll feed me his blood to heal me, and then I'll kill myself and become a vampire, just like Katherine did. So unless you want that to happen again, promise me the same as before... promise me... You won't harm anyone that I love. Even if they've harmed you."

"I'm sorry, Elena. I'm going to have to call your bluff." Elena stabbed herself then. Lexi rushed over to Stefan.

"Get ready, she's about to go down." Lexi told him. They headed into the hallway as she fell to the ground. Stefan rushed over to her and gave her his blood to heal her.

"Well, looks like the plan worked." Anna said, appearing by them.

"Little tip. Don't pull the dagger out." They turned around and saw Damon in the doorway.

The group met in the basement of the Boarding House. Damon found the moonstone. "I'll hold on to this."

"So, that's it. I mean, as long as we keep the dagger in there, then he stays dead." Elena said.

"Pretty much."

"Then we better not wake him up." Anna said.

"Okay, then... Good night." They started to head upstairs. "You know, you guys want me to fight, fine, I'll fight. But if we're gonna do this, you can't keep anything from me anymore. From this moment on, we're doing it my way." Elena told them.

"That seems fair."

"Okay."

"I can respect that." Lexi said.

"So can I." Anna said.

"Okay." Elena left the room.

"Seems like she's had a change of attitude. How did you get through to her?" Damon asked.

"He had a little help from me." Lexi said.

"We told her about how Lexi helped me when I first turned." Stefan said.

"Really, you had a hard time with the transition?" Anna asked.

"Did you not see the near-disaster at the Founder's Court?" Damon asked her.

"Actually, I had no idea." Anna said. "I was with Jeremy the whole time."

"You like her brother, don't you?" Lexi asked.

"Let's not get into this now." Stefan said.


	22. Chapter 22

The next morning, a fight broke out downstairs. "You're wearing her clothes? Like that's going to work." Damon said.

"You think I'm Katherine? Why would you think that? Katherine's in the tomb! Isn't she?"

"What the hell's going on here?" Stefan asked.

"I don't know, you tell me. Is Katherine in the tomb or not?" Elena asked. Stefan ran over to Elena and pushed her against the wall.

"What are you doing?!"

"How could you do this?!"

"Stefan, you're hurting me!"

"What is going on here?" Everyone looked up. "It's barely seven and already there's a fight going on?" Anna asked.

"Anna…"

"Maybe you could help us out here." Damon said. "You can sense if someone's lying, which of these two is Katherine?" Anna looked at the group.

"Stefan, let her go." She said. "Katherine's standing next to Damon." Stefan let go of Elena.

"It's getting really easy being you." Katherine said.

"What is she doing here?" Elena asked.

"When we killed Elijah, it broke the compulsion and freed the bitch from the tomb." Damon explained.

"How's that possible?" Stefan said.

"He's an Original. They have all sorts of special skills." Katherine told them.

"She's got us there." Anna said.

"I don't want you here. Get her out of here." Elena told him.

"With pleasure." Anna said.

"You need me, Elena. You all do."

"Like hell."

"I don't." Anna pointed out. "I've got other friends that can help."

"We all want the same thing... Klaus dead. Yet here you all are, running around like chickens with their heads cut off." Katherine said. "Well, except in Casper's case." Anna glared at her. Did she really just use a bad movie reference to describe her?

"I don't need your help and I don't want it." Elena said.

"And that's incredibly stupid of you. You know where Klaus is? When he's coming, what he looks like?" Katherine asked them.

"If you know something, say it or get out." Damon said.

"Fine. Then I'll just go to the grill and have some lunch... maybe Aunt Jenna's free for a bite." Katherine said. She left the room.

"As much as I hate to say it, she's right." Anna said. "The only other person who knows about Klaus is Rose, and so far, we haven't been able to get anything out of her."

"She's probably scared." Damon said. "I mean, she never seemed like much of a fighter to begin with." Anna turned to the side.

"Please keep an eye on her." She said to someone only she was aware of was in the room.

"We should probably let the others know." Stefan said.

"Why not? We're already running late." Elena said. The two of them left for school.

"Well, guess it's you and me stuck on watch duty."

"It would appear that way." Anna agreed.

A few minutes later, Damon was downstairs, trying to torch Elijah's body. "If you're trying to get the dagger back, you're wasting your time. He's indestructible." Katherine told him, entering.

"No kidding. How do you know so much about Original vampires?" Damon asked.

"Spent 500 years running from one." Katherine pointed out.

"Hate to say it, but she's not lying." Anna said.

"So when I told you my plan to kill Elijah, why didn't you warn me that I'd die if I used a dagger on him?" Damon asked.

"Oh, there's so many rules. It's all very confusing." Katherine said.

"Katherine, just answer the question." Anna said. "Everyone's had enough of your mind games."

"Did Elijah tell you his plan? Did he have a dagger to kill Klaus with?" Katherine asked.

"Why are you still here?"

"Because you haven't forcibly removed me." Anna felt something pulling her then.

"Sorry, Someone's calling me. I'll be back soon."

At school, Stefan was talking to Bonnie and Jeremy. "She's out of the tomb?" Bonnie asked.

"Yeah. We're dealing with it, all right? Just be extra careful. She's getting a little too good at impersonating Elena." Stefan warned them.

"With Katherine still around, we gotta find a way to get your powers back." Jeremy said.

"Listen, I want to get the Martins on our side. I want to figure out a way for us all to work together now that Elijah's out of the picture."

"It's impossible. They hate us."

"It's either win them over or somebody's going to end up dead. You think you can at least convince them to have a civil conversation?"

"I'll try."

"Thanks. Keep me posted."

"Oh, yeah, let's ask the witches that were helping Elijah for help. No way that can backfire on us." Anna said.

"When'd you get here?" Jeremy asked.

"Stefan called. Is it true that she doesn't have her powers?"

"Jeremy? Who are you talking to?" Bonnie asked.

"Wait, you can't see her?" Jeremy asked.

"Who?"

"She can't see me." Anna said. "It must be because she lost her witch powers."

"Wait, Anna, are you saying she can't communicate with people like you if her powers are missing?"

"Or blocked through dark magic." Anna said.

"I have to get to class." Bonnie said.

"Just tell her to be careful." Anna told Jeremy. "I have to get going."

When she appeared in the Boarding House, she found Damon pinning Katherine down. She pushed him off of her. "Emily Bennett told me about the massacre. It was a big deal in witch folklore. When a witch dies violently, they release a mystical energy marking the place of their death with power." She explained.

"That's actually true." Anna said. "I've met a few witches on the Other Side, but not enough to know where the place is. Plus, there are certain places where normal spirits can't enter."

"Elijah wanted to know the site of the massacre." Damon told her.

"What was he going to do when he found it?"

"I don't know." Damon said. "What did papa witch and baby witch have to say?"

"Isn't she gone or dead yet?" Stefan asked.

"For the last time, I'm here to help. Can we skip the secrets, hmm?" Katherine said.

"We'll skip the secrets once you prove we can trust you." Anna said.

"Elijah had no weapon to kill Klaus but he believed that if a witch could channel enough power... They wouldn't need one." Stefan explained.

"Like the power you get from a spot marked with a hundred dead witches?"

"We just need to find it."

"Okay, but I'm not being used as a living location detector." Anna said. The vampires looked at her. "Oh, you know what I mean!" She telekinetically threw a few books at them.

"Looks like we've got some research to do." Stefan said as soon as she left.

She returned a few hours later, surprised to still find Katherine at the Salvatore's House. She read from one of the books. ""Emily Bennett was taken by the Council today. They kidnapped her from her home and took her to the same location her ancestors were burned a hundred years ago." So Emily died on the site of the massacre, too. Does it say where?" She tried to take the book from Damon, but she prevented it.

"Nope. You know this whole friendly, cooperative thing? I don't buy it." He told her.

"I have no reason to lie to you, Damon."

"Please, you always lie to us, Katherine." Anna said. Katherine left the room. As soon as she did, Anna sensed another presence in the house.

"Well, nothing in any of those. Find anything?" Stefan asked.

"Nope." He showed the others the book so Katherine wouldn't overhear.

"That's too bad." Stefan said.

"Yeah, bummer."

"Well, I asked around, but so far nothing." Anna said. She winked at the guys, letting them know that she knew where to look. Then she sensed it again, it seemed stronger this time. "There's something else here."

She headed downstairs and saw Katherine trying to hold the dagger down and some kid. "Who are you?" Anna asked. He looked at her in surprise.

"Who are you?"

"Who's there?" Katherine asked Anna.

"I don't know, some guy. He looks familiar…" Then, it came to her. "It's one of Elijah's witches." Suddenly, Katherine saw the chair break.

"Damon!" He drove a stake into her, but Anna ripped it out.

"No offense, but we kinda need her alive for now, even if she is a complete pain in the ass." Anna said.

"What happened?"

"That Luka kid's trying to remove the dagger!" Anna told him.

"Girls, stand back." He warned them. He grabbed the flamethrower.

"Damon, I wouldn't…" Anna began. It was too late. Fire surrounded the entire room. Stefan showed up then.

"What are you doing?"

"Shutting down a crazy ass psychic witch attack! Get over there and do something about it. Now!" Damon told him.

"Yeah, those witches certainly trust us, don't they?" Anna asked. They headed back upstairs.

"Why'd you save me back there?"

"I meant what I said back there. Besides, if you die before you get a chance to prove you're on our side, then we'd be up the creek without a paddle." Anna told her. "So why didn't you tell them about the dagger?"

"John and Isobel want the Salvatores gone. I could only save one of them." Katherine explained.

"So of course you picked my brother." Damon said.

"Like I had much choice. We'd all still be in this mess either way."

"Well, she kinda has a point there." Anna said. "Oh, no."

"What's going on?" Damon asked.

"Luka's father, he's going after the others." Anna explained. "They're at the Grill."

"Wait, how do you know this?"

"It's like Bonnie's trying to reach out to me or something." Anna told them.

"I know how we can help them, but you have to trust me this time." Katherine said.

"I'm going to help them." Anna said. "You two, work it out already."

Anna knew there was trouble the minute she appeared in the Grill. "Whatever it is you think you need to do, there's a better way." Bonnie was saying.

"They killed Elijah and they killed Luka and my only shot at getting my daughter back is if I have Elena."

"No. No, Dr. Martin…" Suddenly, the lights shattered. Anna used her powers to protect the young witch. Bonnie looked around, surprised.

"I've got your back, Bon. Even if you can't see me right now." She glanced around. In the corner, she saw Caroline, Elena, and Stefan. She was caught off guard by a fire starting in front of her.

"We have to get out of here, but we need a distraction."

"I'm on it." Caroline said. Anna had no time to react. Then she got an idea. If people could call her, couldn't she use the same abilities if she were bonded with a person? She closed her eyes and concentrated. "Jer, I'm at the Grill. Bonnie's in trouble. We have to get her out of here."

A few minutes later, the three of them were standing in Elena's house. "Luka... I can't believe he's dead. After what we did to him." Bonnie said.

"No, after what he did to you." Jeremy said. "Look, I'm sorry, I know you feel bad about all of this but I don't."

"I couldn't do anything to help. I was useless. I hated it."

"If it helps, he doesn't bear any grudge against us." Anna said. Jeremy looked at her. "What? He ran into Sheila and Lexi while I was trying to keep our witch safe."

Just then Stefan and Elena entered the house. "Thank God."

"It's not over yet." Elena said.

"What's going on?" Jeremy asked.

"He'll explain." Elena said, leaving the room.

"When did you guys get home?" Stefan asked.

"A few minutes ago." Bonnie told him.

"Did you check the house?"

"And why would we check the house?" Jeremy asked.

A few minutes later, Anna heard something upstairs. "It's fine." She gasped, finding Damon and Elena behind her. "It was all part of the plan."

"Good thing you managed to switch places in time." Anna said. Suddenly, she heard a scream upstairs. She rushed up to find Stefan, Katherine, and Bonnie near Dr. Martin. "What happened?"

"He just grabbed me." Bonnie said. Then she realized what happened and turned around. "Anna."

"Yeah."

"I know you were back there earlier. It was like I could sort of feel you were there, but I couldn't see or hear you."

"Let's make sure he stays dead this time." Katherine said.

"I'll take care of it." Stefan said.

Downstairs, the others were talking. "How did you guys convince her to do this?" Elena asked.

"We didn't. It was actually her idea." Damon said.

"Wow. That's... Not good."

"No. No, that's not good at all."

"Though you have to admit, it was probably the only way we could've gotten out of this one." Anna said. The rest of the group came downstairs.

"Everything's taken care of."

"I'm guessing you're going to want this back." Katherine said, taking Elena's necklace off. "But your pretty little outfit is going to need a good dry clean."

"You're going to have to get her out of here before Jenna gets home." Elena said, taking the necklace.

"Is that all you have to say to me?"

"This doesn't change the way I feel about you." Elena told her.

"I don't much like you, either, if we're going to be open and frankly, I'd be happy to see you dead but if we're going to try to take on Klaus, we kinda need you to be alive." Katherine said. "So I'm not a threat to you, Elena. If any of you are going to believe anything, believe that."

"Well, I trust her." Anna said as soon as she left.

"You trust her?"

"Sort of. Guys, come on. She just saved all of us from a warlock running on revenge. I mean, I'll never completely trust her." Anna said. "Especially after what she pulled in the past, but I think we should give her a chance."

"I don't know, Anna." Stefan said.

"We don't have to tell her anything, you know." Damon pointed out.

"And I can ask Rose to keep an eye on her." Anna added.

"How is she, anyway?" Damon asked.

"She's fine, Damon. She's been catching up with some friends." Anna told him.

"Anyway, we better get Katherine out of here." Stefan pointed out.

"You coming?" Damon asked.

"I think I'll stay here with Elena for a while." Anna said. They watched as the guys left.

"Thanks for saving Bonnie." Elena told her. "I saw you trying to protect her from Jonas."

"It was nothing." Anna said. "Besides, without her powers, she couldn't defend herself against his magic."

"Still, she's my best friend. It means a lot that you tried to help her."

"Like I said, it was nothing, but I'd do anything to help you guys." Anna said. "I know we're not supposed to get attached, it's sort of like a Jedi thing, but who else is going to help protect this town?"

"Well, if that's the case, I'd say all of us have already broken the rules." Elena pointed out. "At least there's no rule about not being able to love someone that's not a supernatural being."

"Well, that'd be kind of stupid." Anna agreed. "Those forbidden rules only exist in ridiculous books."

The door opened. "There's Jenna. I'll meet you upstairs, I guess." Elena said.

"Okay." She was thinking about Jeremy and how she felt about him. "It's just our stupid bond, I'm sure of it."


	23. Chapter 23

A few days later, Anna met the guys outside the house. She had no idea if the barrier would effect her. She had led them to the location, but she also knew what Bonnie would be risking if she attempted to kill Klaus now.

"Could she do one of those witch tracking spells?" Damon asked.

"Nope. Not without something that belongs to Klaus. Believe me, I already asked." Stefan said.

"Do you think he killed her?"

"Katherine? Probably."

"Well, she probably deserved it after betraying us." Anna pointed out. "She practically left us for dead." They looked at her. "You know what I mean." Just then, Elena opened the door.

"Okay, it's done. Get in here."

"Wait, why'd you have to wait outside?" Stefan asked.

"Like I said, sometimes we can't enter certain places. I couldn't enter the witch house at first, remember?" Anna pointed out. "It was like there was an invisible wall."

Bonnie handed Elena her jacket. "Thanks."

"Wait, where are you going?" Stefan asked.

"To school." Elena said.

"No, no, no. We didn't create a safe house for you to leave it." Damon said.

"Yeah, guys, Klaus is out there. We know that." Stefan pointed out.

"Right. But where? No one knows. Look, I really appreciate what you guys are doing. And I'll be able to sleep at night knowing that I'll be safe here, but I'm not going to be a prisoner." Elena pointed out.

"Your way, Elena."

"Don't worry, I'm ready. If he shows his face, I can take him." Bonnie told them.

"The way I see it, next to Bonnie is the safest place that I can be. Come on." Elena said.

"Wait, um, coming."

"Hey, don't forget me!" Anna said.

"What can you do?" Damon asked her.

"I can sense dark forces, remember?" Anna pointed out. "Besides, the Original vampires can't see me and someone's gotta give Bonnie a hand. See you later." She disappeared.

"Will you relax already? They'll be okay." He heard a familiar accent say.

"Do you have to sneak up on me like that?" Damon asked.

"You're the one who called me here, remember?" Rose pointed out.

At school, Anna appeared in the classroom. She stayed near the back of the class, but had a good view of the others. Then, Alaric walked in. "Hello, class. What are we learning today?"

"With the decade dance tonight, we've been covering the sixties all week."

"Is this an annual thing at the school?" Anna whispered. Stefan glanced at her, letting her know he had no clue either.

"Right. The sixties. I wish there was something good I could say about the sixties, but... Actually, they kind of sucked. Except for the Beatles, of course. They made it bearable." Everyone was looking at each other. It was clear something was up.

"Wow, it sounds as though he'd been there." Anna said. Just then, the realization hit her. She wasn't entirely sure, though. After class, she went over to him. Sure enough, she could feel two auras.

She headed to the cafeteria. "Well, she's gotta know you can't do it." She heard Jeremy said.

"You don't know I can't. Have a little faith in me." Anna joined them.

"Bonnie, I think he's right." She told her. "It'll kill Elena more if she finds out that you'll die to save her from…"

"Look, please don't tell her, guys." Bonnie said.

"She's coming." Anna told them.

"Hey, Jer. How you doing? Are you ok at the house alone with John?" Elena asked.

"It's not ideal."

"You haven't heard from Jenna, have you?"

"It looks like she's staying on campus instead of coming home." Jeremy told her. "I'm late for class."

"Jeremy!" Anan called as he left. She really felt bad for him. She didn't want Bonnie to go through with it either, but he'd already lost one of his girlfriends because of the supernatural. She didn't want him to go through it again.

"What's going on?" Elena asked.

"I told him he had to dress up tonight and he got all uptight." Bonnie said. Anna looked at her. "I'll tell her when the times right." She whispered to her.

"You'd better." Anna said. "When you make a promise to one of us, you're pretty much bound to it."

A classmate joined the girls. "Hey, Elena, there you are. Ok. This is going to sound freaky, but this totally hot guy just asked me to ask you if you're going to the dance tonight."

"Tell him she has a boyfriend." Bonnie told him.

"You could at least meet him. He'll be at the dance tonight. Look for him. His name is Klaus." Anna froze.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"His name's Klaus. I know the name's stupid, but I swear he's hot."

"Where is he? Is he here?" Bonnie asked.

"Forget it, Bonnie. She's under compulsion. I can feel it."

"But he wants to know if you'll save him the last dance. How cute is that?" The girl said.

"Yeah, cute if you like the whole serial killer angle." Anna said.

That afternoon, the group met in the living room. "So we go to the dance, we find him." Damon said.

"Really? How are we going to do that? We don't even know what he looks like." Stefan pointed out.

"Something tells me he's not going to be 16 and pimply."

"Actually, you never know with him." Rose said. "He's got all kinds of special skills, and not just the normal kind."

"He could be anywhere at any time. He compelled somebody at school." Stefan said. "I guess it's not as safe as you guys thought, huh?"

"Oh, give it a rest. I can't be in two places at once, Stef." Anna pointed out. Alaric walked in.

"There you are."

"Sorry I'm late."

"Hey, I need you to put me down as a chaperone at the dance tonight. Klaus made his first move."

"Okay, so we find him and then what, hmm? What's our plan of attack?" Elena asked.

"Me. I'm the plan. He has no idea how much power I can channel. If you can find him, I can kill him." Bonnie told them.

"That's not going to be that easy. I mean, he is the biggest, baddest vampire around."

"Not to mention how all that power could affect you."

"It's not as though she's using dark magic." Rose pointed out.

"Still, channeling that much power can hurt a person, Rose." Anna said.

"It doesn't matter if he's an Original. I can take down anyone who comes at me. I can kill him, Elena. I know I can."

"She seems determined to save her no matter what the cost."

"Exactly why I need you're help." Anna said. "Rose, are you with me on this or against me?"

"I'm with you, of course, but I still think we need to find a way to stop Klaus first." Rose said.

"When you two are done arguing, can you join the rest of us?" Damon asked. They looked around the room. Alaric had left and Bonnie had gone upstairs.

Anna met Bonnie and Jeremy outside the school that evening. Jeremy took off his ring and offered it to Bonnie. "If you're asking me to go steady, I think that was the fifties." She said.

"No, I'm serious, Bonnie." He told her.

"The ring won't work on me, Jeremy." Bonnie told him.

"But it was made by a witch."

"To protect from the supernatural, not for someone who is."

"Well, I have to do something. I can't just... I can't just let you get yourself killed." Jeremy said.

"Just because a bunch of dead witches gave me a warning doesn't mean I'm going to die."

"Okay, I know you're lying, Bonnie." Anna said. "And you can't just go in and kill him like that. You need to be smarter than that. Even Emily had a back-up plan."

"Look, I appreciate you trying to help, but I can feel this is something that I need to do." Bonnie told them.

"I just hope you're not making some stupid mistake." Rose said. The rest of the group looked and noticed that the others had arrived.

"You guys ready to do this?" Stefan asked.

"Why not? Besides, we'll be invisible to everyone so we can investigate anything weird going on." Anna pointed out. They all headed inside.

"Thanks for being here, everybody. We have a special shout-out tonight. This is for Elena. From Klaus." Everyone froze.

"That was a lame, cheap shot. He's just trying to bait us." Damon said.

"I wouldn't underestimate him if I were you." Rose told him.

"I know everyone here." Elena said.

"Maybe he's not here. Just wants us to believe that he is." Stefan suggested.

"No, I'm picking up something weird around here." Anna said. "He's got to be here somewhere."

"Then we'd better look around." Rose said. The two of them moved through the gym undetected. A few minutes later, Anna noticed Damon talking with Alaric. Something felt completely off to her.

"Damon," He turned toward her. "I think we better be more careful. Something feels off about Alaric, I mean, way off."

"I'll keep that in mind." He walked off.

"So you felt that, too, just now." Rose said.

"Yeah, there is something very wrong going on here." Anna said. "I think I'm going to keep an eye on him. Can you make sure nothing happens here?"

"No problem. After all, I'm an expert at hiding in the shadows." Rose pointed out.

"Right." Anna remembered, laughing. "Wish me luck." She disappeared from the gym.

Rose spent the next few minutes looking around the gym, but didn't see anything out of the ordinary except for Elena's friends, she believed one of them was Caroline, on the dance floor with her boyfriend. "So, see anything weird around here?" Damon asked.

"Nothing that seems like anything Klaus would do." Rose said. "It's weird."

"Maybe he's trying to lure us into a false sense of security." Jeremy suggested.

"Well, it's not working." Bonnie said.

"I think you should talk with that witch of yours." Rose told Damon. "She's determined to protect her, but her dying wouldn't help Elena now."

"Got it." He went over to Bonnie and Jeremy.

Anna showed up then. "Guys…"

"Hang on, he's trying to convince her not to sacrifice herself." Rose explained.

"Yeah, but there is something up with Ric." Anna said. "I think Klaus compelled him, I saw him setting up a trap with some students in the hallway. They're planning to ambush them."

"Okay, then we should try to warn them."

Elena was talking with Jeremy. "Is there something going on, Jer? You okay?"

"I'm fine." He left.

"Everything all right?"

"I'm not sure."

"I think I know what's going on." Anna said. "Look, there's something you two need to know about Bonnie."

A few minutes later, Rose went outside to check on the others. Anna had gone after Jeremy, but she did warn the guys that there was a trap out in the hall.

"How could you not tell me?" Elena asked.

"'Cause I knew how'd you react." Bonnie said.

"No. No way, it's not an option."

"It's our only option." Bonnie pointed out.

"Guys, I told you, this would be a stupid idea." Rose told her.

"If I have the ability to save her, wouldn't you do the same thing?"

"Well, how are we supposed to protect both of you?" Rose asked. Then the answer came to her. Elena was apparently thinking the same thing.

"Can't you protect her?" Elena asked. "I mean, I know you aren't bonded with her, but can't ghosts protect witches or other humans as long as their related or can see them otherwise?"

"I've never done anything like this before, but it's worth a try." Rose said. "It should decrease the risk."

In the hallway, Anna was following Jeremy. She noticed a few other guys from the school show up. "Jeremy, look out! They're compelled!"

The guys started to fight him, but Anna defended Jeremy. The Salvatores arrived at that moment. One of the students they were fighting with fired a stake through a crossbow at Damon, but Anna deflected the shot with her powers.

"Let me guess, Klaus says hi." They managed to fight them off.

"I'll stay here with Jeremy, go find the girls." Anna told them.

"I better stay, too. The more back up we have, the better."

Outside, Rose noticed Alaric come out. "Elena!"

"What is it?"

"He has Jeremy."

"What?"

"Come on." The girls followed him into the school.

"There's something suspicious about all this." Rose said.

"Where's Jeremy?" Bonnie asked. They stopped. Alaric laughed.

"I just had to get away from that dance. The sixties. Not my decade. I mean, whose call was that, anyway? I much prefer the twenties. The style, the parties, the jazz." Rose took a step back in panic.

"Girls, that isn't Alaric. I thought he was only being compelled before, but now…" Rose managed to get out. The girls looked at her, realizing what she knew.

"Oh, no. It's not possible." Elena said.

"I forgot he could swap bodies with others." Rose told them.

"Would've been good to know before!" Bonnie pointed out. She quickly used her powers to throw him back long enough for the three of them to run.

"Why is he after me here?" Elena asked as they ran. "The ritual isn't until the next full moon!"

"He's not after you, Elena. I spied on Katerina earlier. His intent is to destroy your witch friend here." Rose said.

"Still not good news." Bonnie said. Suddenly, they ran into Damon.

"What happened?"

"Klaus possessed Alaric's body." Rose explained.

"Go find Stefan. Now." Damon told Elena.

"Okay." She ran off.

"Can you kill him?" Damon asked Bonnie.

"He's using a protection spell." Bonnie said.

"You have the power of a hundred witches, break it." Damon said.

"I'm trying." Bonnie told him, angrily. "If I kill Alaric, he'll just possess someone else. He knows I have my power, Damon. He's trying to kill me."

"We have to do something about this, Damon." Rose said.

"You still willing to do whatever it takes to kill him?" Damon asked.

Rose followed Bonnie into the hallway. "Are you ready?"

"Sure this will work?" Bonnie asked. They looked at each other.

"Let's do this." Rose said.

"What took you so long? Now, do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?" Bonnie used her powers on him.

"The hard way. Got it." Klaus got up. "What? You'd kill your favorite history teacher?"

"It's what Alaric would want. And he'd want you to suffer first." Bonnie said. She realized her nose was bleeding.

"Look at you. Is that all you got?"

"Let's find out." Bonnie said. Rose hovered to her side, using her powers to try to shield Bonnie from her power's effects. Suddenly, she found Anna at her side, trying to help.

"What are you doing here?"

"Heard Bonnie was in trouble and figured our powers are similar to the witches: stronger when we're together." Anna explained. "Oh, and Stefan and Elena are on the way."

"I knew that. Damon's not very good at providing a distraction." Rose said. Anna glanced at her. "We were friends before I became a ghost."

"That explains your bond with him." Anna said. "If I remember, the connection has to be emotional."

"Bonnie!" She heard Elena scream. The two girls used their powers, trying to protect Bonnie, but her nose was still bleeding. She turned around and looked at Elena before collapsing. The wind stopped, but the girls still remained near Bonnie. Elena and Stefan burst in then.

Elena went to her friend's side. "Is she okay?"

"I don't know." Rose said. "Even with Anna's help, I'm not sure what happened."

"Well, Klaus is gone." Anna said. "We don't have to be worried about him."

"Guys, I can't tell if she's breathing." Elena said. "Is there anything any of you can do?"

"No, I can't tell, either." Stefan said.

"Let me." Anna went over and touched Bonnie. "She's breathing, but it's slow. Almost as if…"

"Oh no."

"We'll get this." Damon said, entering the room. Everyone except Bonnie looked at him. "What, we can't let the sheriff find out."

"Hate to say it, but he has a point." Rose said.

"But…"

"Just trust them, Elena. They know what they're doing." Anna said. "I'll find Jeremy, you take her home." She told Stefan.

A couple hours later, Damon and Rose were outside the Boarding House. "Do you think it worked?"

"Yeah. Trust me, the Bennett witches are one of the strongest ones."

"I still don't like witches very much, I always found them prejudice. Though Bonnie seems different."

"We better let them know." They entered the house.

"How is she?" Elena asked.

"She seems shaken, but last time I checked, her pulse was back to normal." Rose told her.

"So she's going to be okay."

"Look, none of us saw Klaus possessing Alaric coming." Damon pointed out. "We had to make it look as though she had died."

"If Anna hadn't shown up when she did, she very well could've." Rose admitted. "What? I'm not going to hide the truth." She told Damon.

In the abandoned house, Anna was keeping an eye on Bonnie. Apparently only the good spirits were allowed to enter. Jeremy was lighting candles. "She's breathing." Anna realized as she heard her gasp. She woke up then.

Jeremy rushed over to her and the three of them hugged. "I am so glad you're okay." Anna told her.

"We had her cast a spell, just in case." Damon told the group. He left the room, but Stefan followed him into the hall.

"You know, you could have told me."

"How do I know when you're going to go blabbing things to your girlfriend?"

"You even understand what you put her through?" Stefan asked angrily.

"See, that's why I didn't tell you. Cause you would have never been able to do it." Damon pointed out. "Don't get me wrong, Stefan. I don't mind being the bad guy. I'll make all the life and death decisions while you're busy worrying about collateral damage. I'll even let her hate me for it. But at the end of the day, I'll be the one to keep her alive." He headed upstairs.

"It hasn't been easy for any of us tonight." Stefan turned around. "Sometimes when we're in these situations, we say things we don't mean."

"Yeah, only it's true. I always care too much."

"Lexi did mention you were too good for your own good." Rose said.

"That sounds like something she'd say."

"I'm just saying, don't give up on him, Stefan. You're brothers. You're lucky you've got each other." She told him as she began to disappear.

At the witch house, Anna and the others were sitting around. "You sure it's safe here?" Jeremy asked.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Bonnie said.

"We're protected by witch spirits, why wouldn't it be safe?" Anna pointed out. They both looked at her. "Oh, right."

"What is that?" Bonnie asked.

"It's MiFi. If we're gonna be stuck here, then we might as well have Internet." Jeremy said.

"You don't have to stay down here with me." Bonnie pointed out.

"Hey, look, I'm not letting you out of my sight." Jeremy said.

"I'll be here, too. In case he needs to go out for a while." Anna told her.

"Thanks for trying to protect me." Bonnie said. "I know this stuff isn't easy for you guys."

"Hey, we always help our friends, no matter what." Anna said.

"I need you to tell Elena about what happened, though." Bonnie said.

"Well, um..." The girls turned to Jeremy. "Why don't you tell her yourself?" He turned his laptop and showed them Elena was on the webcam.

"Wow, you're good with technology." Anna said.

"Just lucky, I guess." Jeremy said.

"We were lucky Bonnie was willing to take a risk with that spell tonight." Rose said. She was up in Damon's room.

"Yeah, but I personally don't care either way."

"That's a lie." Rose said. "I know all about your promise to Emily, about how you said you'd protect the Bennett bloodline."

"I know, while Bonnie can be difficult to deal with at times, I kind of respect how she always goes into these messes without panicking." Damon said. "I've known a lot of witches over the years, most of them were too scared to even try to go beyond the little spells."

"Magic can be dangerous when used in the wrong hands." Rose pointed out. "It's all about how you use it."

Elena entered the room then. "Hey."

"Hey."

"Look, I just wanted to let you know that I won't let Bonnie die for me. For real next time." She told them.

"We need to kill Klaus, Elena. Real Klaus. Who will probably be coming to pay you a visit soon now that he knows that Bonnie is dead." Damon pointed out. "She's the only one who can do it."

"We'll find another way." Elena said.

"I hope so."

"I know we will." They looked at Rose. "Look, we've managed to beat the impossible before. For example, ghosts usually can't interact with the living apart from mediators and witches. If it hadn't been for Anna, none of us would've known it was possible to communicate with people like you."

"Wow. I didn't know that." Elena said.

"I'll see you guys tomorrow." Rose said. She disappeared after that.

"I get that you want to protect her," Damon said when she was gone. "If it comes down to you and the witch again, I will gladly let Bonnie die. I will always choose you." Elena looked at him.

"Good night, Damon."

"Good night." She left the room.


End file.
